Pakistan moves to make Gilgit-Baltistan its 5th province:Assembly passes resolution; constitutional amendment sought

Pakistan has begun the process of declaring Gilgit-Baltistan, which India considers part of its illegally occupied territory, as the country’s fifth province. On Thursday, the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly unanimously passed a joint resolution calling on the Pakistani government to amend the Constitution and formally grant the region provincial status. The resolution was signed by the Chief Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of the Opposition, and two independent lawmakers. It will now be sent to Pakistan’s Parliament. The proposal also seeks representation for Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate. Pakistan currently has four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Elections held in Gilgit-Baltistan last month Elections were held in Gilgit-Baltistan on 7 June, with Bilawal Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) emerging as the largest party. As no party secured a clear majority, the PPP and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) formed a power-sharing agreement. Under the arrangement, the Chief Minister and Speaker are from the PPP, while the Governor and Deputy Speaker are from the PML-N. Why is Gilgit-Baltistan important to India? Gilgit-Baltistan lies in the Trans-Himalayan region, north-west of the Kashmir Valley. It was historically part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which consisted of five regions: Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit Wazarat, and the Gilgit Agency. Of the territory that came under Pakistan’s control after 1947, around 85% is in Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly known as the Northern Areas), while the remaining 15% is in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The region is strategically important because it forms a key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Indus River also enters Pakistan through Gilgit-Baltistan. How did Gilgit-Baltistan become separated from India? The region came under Pakistan’s control in 1947. After the formation of the Soviet Union (USSR), British India took the Gilgit Agency on a 60-year lease from the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir in 1935 for strategic reasons. When India became independent in August 1947, the lease ended, and Gilgit returned to the control of Maharaja Hari Singh. On 26 October 1947, Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, merging Jammu and Kashmir with India. Soon afterwards, the Gilgit Scouts, led by British officer William Alexander Brown, revolted and took control of Gilgit. They also occupied Baltistan, which was then part of Ladakh, along with Skardu, Kargil and Dras. During the 1947–48 India-Pakistan war, Indian forces recaptured Kargil and Dras in August 1948, but Gilgit remained under Pakistan’s control. On 1 November 1947, the Revolutionary Council of Gilgit-Baltistan declared the region an independent country. On 15 November, it announced its merger with Pakistan, stating that the move was for administrative purposes. In recent years, Pakistan has continued to mark 1 November as Gilgit-Baltistan’s Independence Day.