scorecardresearch
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeDiplomacyIndia demands Pakistan vacate Gilgit-Baltistan, warns against ‘material changes’ in region

India demands Pakistan vacate Gilgit-Baltistan, warns against ‘material changes’ in region

India’s statement comes after Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered an amendment to the Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018. New Delhi had earlier rejected the order as well.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

New Delhi: India has once again warned Pakistan to not to change the status quo of Gilgit-Baltistan as Islamabad moved to bring the disputed region under its direct control.

In a statement issued Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “The Government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. India completely rejects such actions and continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Instead, Pakistan should immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.”

India said the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are “an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession”.

Issuing a stern message to Islamabad through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, India said it has “lodged a strong protest” against their Supreme Court’s latest order on the “so-called Gilgit-Baltistan”.

“It was further conveyed that such actions can neither hide the illegal occupation of parts of Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh by Pakistan nor the grave human rights violations, exploitation and denial of freedom to the people residing in Pakistan occupied territories for the past seven decades. Government of India’s position in the matter is reflected in the resolution passed by the Parliament in 1994 by consensus,” it said.

The statement comes in the wake of an order by the Pakistan Supreme Court last week where it issued notices to the Advocate General of Gilgit-Baltistan, directing it to amend the Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018 and establishing a caretaker government there.

Accepting a plea of the Pakistani government, a seven-member bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that the Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018 be amended so that the upcoming general elections can be held by September and an interim caretaker government be set up in the meantime.

The tenure of the present Gilgit-Baltistan government expires this June and the next general elections will be held within two months. This election is for the Gilgit-Baltistan Council.

Despite being controlled administratively from Islamabad since 1947, Gilgit-Baltistan continues to remain a disputed region between India and Pakistan, and hence has not been officially integrated in Pakistan. However, the people of the region have been demanding the status of Pakistani citizens with constitutional rights.


Also read: India lodges protest with Pakistan after ceasefire violation kills youth in Poonch


What is Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018?

Pakistan had changed the legal status of Gilgit-Baltistan first in 2009 by introducing Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order-2009 which changed its name from Northern Areas to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Under this arrangement, it was given a province-like status with the appointment of a chief minister and governor for self-rule. Thus, constitutionally it still remained out of Pakistan.

In May 2018, the Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018 was passed, replacing the earlier order. This was seen as yet another attempt by the Pakistan government towards incorporating the disputed region as its fifth province.

India had rejected all these moves.

“Pakistan has been changing the status of Gilgit-Baltistan for many years now. This is nothing new. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan want all the rights as any normal Pakistani citizen,” Sharat Sabharwal, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, told ThePrint.

“In all practical purposes, Islamabad continues to administer it tightly from there. But it is after all a disputed territory and New Delhi has maintained it is part of India. India also sees it as a bilateral issue, so it never took up the matter with any international body,” said Sabharwal.


Also read: Pressure mounts on India to call out China for Covid as it readies to take lead role at WHO


 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

9 COMMENTS

  1. Pakistani want land of pok and GB not you people you see status of people under Pakistan and then compare the status of people under India . we live here with all pride and liberty….

  2. To a large extent India is responsible for Pakistan becoming a vassal state / colony of an opportunist China.

    India can settle issues with Pakistan . India should not close her doors to Pakistan

    India can provide Pakistan with all the financial aid Pakistan needs.

    Otherwise China would continue to use Pakistan to wage a hidden and with very little expenditure war with India
    .
    Ultimately all anti India terrorists / organisations based in Pakistan are refinanced by China.

    ======

    Partition of India in 1947 benefited neither Muslims nor Hindus.
    India’s partition benefited only China.

    ( Around 1947 while Mao was consolidating / expanding China , we were partitioning )

    Now , we have , in all directions , ” Enemy at the Gates ”

    ——-
    Mao used to talk about Tibet and the Himalayas:

    “Xizang (Tibet) is China’s right hand’s palm, which is detached from its five fingers — of Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal (formerly NEFA).

    and Nehru used to say ,

    ” Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai ”

    ———-

    .For India Small is Beautiful

    Partition of India , in 1947 ,has helped China move south of Himalayas and ,ultimately, to the Arabian Sea ( via Gwadar ) whereas creation of Pakistan created a great wall between India and Afghanistan , Iran and Central Asia.

    .====================
    The process of India becoming weak vis-a-vis China started around 1947 -48 when both India and China got Independence. Immediately China”s Mao started consolidating China”s outlying territories like Tibet, Manchuria , Port Arthur etc.

    India , in 1947 ,was partitioning , creating Pakistan , Nehru gifting away India strategic Coco Islands , POK, Aksai Chin etc and . thus .becoming smaller.

    ============

    ( By CPEC , China has revived the old 19 th Century Imperialist Russia ‘s plans to acquire warm water ports of present day Pakistan -Russo Phobia / The Great Game )

    . British did not allow this . They garrisoned Ambala , Jullundur, Rawalpindi, Peshawar etc .

    They built a railway line right up-to the borders of Afghanistan – Landi Kotal ( Peshawar ).

    The British co-operated with the rising Imperial Japanese to devastate Russia ( Russo- Jap War of 1904-05 )

    British did not let the Russians cross the Hindu Kush.

  3. How can India order any to Pakistan when in reality it has done away with the Order of its own Government on Article 370 / and Article 35A? They changed the status of J&K which was supposed to have its own Government, its own Prime Minister, and a Constitution. These facts are recorded and accepted as management of understanding, within the Charter of the United Nation (UN). So the way it goes, is that India can do whatever it wants, and Pakistan can not? You see, Maharajah Hari Singh’s accession of J&K with Ladakh and G&B and all provinces of Kashmir was clouded with these conditions, written therein the Articles of Accession, or were entered in India’s Constitution along with the facts that the accession was for three things, Military, Communications, and Currency, and nothing else. Indian brains are shot here. Indian powers to be are at huge loss here. Yes, if they want G&B, it will NOT be without a fight, without a war, without China intervening, and all the people of G&B nod to the resolution, and nothing without.

  4. WOW! Pakistan is a great country. Doing Elections in G&B is Pakistan’s second wave of attack on India. G&B was already given a fifth state status in 2018 long before India denounced Article 370. Pakistan has always remained ahead of India in its pursuit of political actions. J&K Article 370 removal was India’s problem, and in reality Pakistan has or ever had anything to lose about it. It never had Jammu or Srinagar anyways. Pakistan is yet very successful in causing all kinds of troubles to the mighty Indian Army. India is simply replying to Pakistan’s operatives in sporadic one or two places. India is still ways behind Pakistan in its mingling in Kashmir affairs. You see, Pakistan let China come into the play in Kashmir by inviting the mighty Chinese to put in Belt and Road Initiative, industries in its Occupied Territories of Kashmir. India simply CAN NOT fight Chinese in Kashmir or Ladakh or anywhere because that will be not only so expensive for the India but also a losing proposition to fight Pakistan and China, both. India is silly in telling the whole wide World that it has the most modern army strength, but I wish they knew how to deploy those. Poor ignorant Indians as always!!!

  5. The intake of sporophoric tablets or liquids by MEA officers should be prohibited by its leaders. Otherwise, the resultant addiction to staring longingly at the wall-mounted copies of “my map” in all offices and other dreamy visualisations would distract them from keeping a firm grasp on realities and that, in turn, would lead to drafting soberer warnings to neighbouring states.

  6. Delay is dangerous and India’s delayed action is not going to get it any justice whatsoever. Anyhow the people of that region also seem to want to come under Pakistani rule of law. India delaying will not get it any victory whatsoever.

  7. Legal and irrevocable occupation? Pakistan has not accepted this position. So, what is to give here? Take the case to the ICJ and see what those learned judges have to say. The JnK dispute too has been in a state of benign neglect and this is another case that needs to be settled after nearly 73+ years.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular