Provincial status for GB to jeopardise Kashmir cause, warns Yasin Malik
TARIQ NAQASH
MUZAFFARABAD: A Srinagar-based pro-freedom leader has advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to beware of implications of a proposal to convert Gilgit-Baltistan into a province for the Kashmir cause.
In a letter to Mr Sharif, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik referred to media reports suggesting that the government was going to hold a meeting on Jan 14 to deliberate upon GB’s future and that the meeting might reach a consensus to merge the territory with Pakistan.
“This will have implications on the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir. If Pakistan imposes its sovereign writ over Gilgit-Baltistan, Delhi will then have a political and moral right to integrate Kashmir with India. Thus with one stroke, Pakistan will be helping India to consolidate its writ on Kashmir,” Mr Malik said.
“I, as someone who represents the aspirations and sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, urge and appeal to you to stay away from such a course of action,” he advised the prime minister.
Mr Malik said it was not just his political wisdom but also the regard for the sentiments, sacrifices and aspirations of Kashmiri people that had driven him to make the appeal.
Since 1947, he said, people of Jammu Kashmir had been struggling for their right and despite loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, they held that struggle dear to their heart.
“If your government incorporates Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan and, as a consequence, India consolidates its hold on Kashmir, this will amount to a bartering of (Kashmiri) people’s aspirations.”
Kashmir, he added, was not about territory, but about the rights of people, and bartering the rights for land meant killing aspirations.
Reminding the premier of the promises he had made at a meeting in Lahore way back in 2009, the JKLF leader claimed that then he (Mr Sharif) had defended Kashmiri position on GB and opposed any proposal aimed at changing its legal or constitutional status.
Mr Malik also referred to media reports that the move was linked to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and said that economic development should not be sought at the cost of the future of millions of Kashmiris.
“History is not made by small bargains and territorial exchanges but by respecting the will of the people… History also judges people in the light of (their) greatness and achievements…. So I urge you to seize the opportunity and become a statesman by not bowing to economic pressures and short-term temptations,” he advised Mr Sharif.
Rafiq Dar, an Azad Kashmir-based JKLF leader, told Dawn that Yasin Malik had personally handed over a hard copy of the letter to Abdul Basit, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi, and emailed it to Sartaj Aziz, the PM’s adviser on foreign affairs, on Tuesday.
Source: Dawn
Powdri!! Now GBian will ask you for accession to Pakistan??
Kashmir is not the valley alone , has ladakh and jammu as well as other areas where this man has no support. So the aspirations of the valley alone are not the aspirations of the whole state.
If J&K was given independence in 5 years the whole state it would become Iraq or Afghanistan or some other place with endless strife.
The People of Gilgit Baltistan have a right to get answers from the stake holders and political leadership of J& K and AJK in general and Mr. Yasin Malik in particular with reference to his recent stance taken in respect of Gilgit Baltistan :
1. Whether the people of Indian Occupied J & K can take part in the plebiscite if any held in future, despite the fact that the Occupied J&K has been made part of India provisionally under Article 370 & 35 A of Indian Constitution ??? If so, why the people of GB could not take part in the plebiscite in case of GB given the “Same Constitutional Status & Rights” under the domain of Constitution of Pakistan till settlement of Kashmir Dispute???
2. Is it not a bitter fact that the UNCIP resolutions recognize only India & Pakistan as main parties to Kashmir Dispute and the sole options in the proposed plebiscite are either to vote for Pakistan or in favor of India, having no third option at all ???
3. Is t not a fact that the name of Gilgit Baltistan or Northern Areas does not exist at all in the resolutions of UN Security Council & the UNCIP Resolutions?
4. Is it not a fact that the Jammu and Kashmir have been two different entities since centuries and State of Jammu & Kashmir came into existence first time on 16th March 1846, when the Rulers of State of Jammu purchased the Territories of Kashmir from the British Regime and made part of its Jammu State?
5. Is it not a historical fact that the Kashmir did not remain as an independent state rather remained under subjugation of Indian Mughal Empire for Centuries , Part of Afghanistan & under the suzerainty of Khalisa State of Punjab till 1846?
6. Is it not a fact that the Gilgit Baltistan linked with Kashmir first time in 1865 when the Dogra Regime of State of J&K and forcibly occupied some parts of GB and ruled the same over a period of 82 years?? Is it not an admitted fact that the GB is de-linked from this illegal occupation since 68 years as a result of indigenous local revolution?
7. Is it not a historical fact that the territories of GB are not mentioned in the Kashmir Purchase Lahore /Amritsar Pacts made in 1846 rather it includes the some parts of the present Punjab & the KPK Province of Pakistan?
8. Is it not a fact that the history of Gilgit Baltistan is entirely different from Kashmir & Jammu, being a peculiar bottle necked geographically located region which remained safe from the invaders & foreign encroachers and all the valies in GB have been ruled under local small kingdoms since centuries??.
9. Is it not a historical fact that the Dogra Regime of newly established State of Jammu & Kashmir invaded some parts of Gilgit Baltistan and occupied the same in 1865 and ruled the area forcibly and against the wishes of the people of GB and was “forcibly driven out” by the people of Gilgit Baltistan on 1st November, 1947 as a result of local indigenous revolution as happened in cases of British Colonial Rule in Sub Continent in 1947 & North America in Eighteen Century and closing of French Colonial Chapter from Algeria? Can anyone claim now that India , Pakistan & USA are part of UK and Algeria is part of France on the basis of their centuries old illegal and unlawful occupati
10. Is it not a fact that instead of talking about 68 years grievances, democratic & constitutional rights of the two million human beings of GB, the political leadership of J & K and AJK always talked about the geographical territories of Gilgit Baltistan and claim the same as Part of that J &K State which infect has lost its existence:
i. On 26th October, 1947 when Dogra Ruler Hari Singh made accession with India,
: On 1st November, 1947 when the Revolutionary Government of Gilgit Baltistan came into existence after expelling the Dogra Regime from GB and acceded with Pakistan
: In 1948 when AJK was liberated with the help of Pak Army & the
Tribal Pathans
11. Is it not an admitted fact that the people of AJK J & K speaks about “ Kashmir Banay Gha Pakistan” but failed to do so till date, whereas the people of GB got liberated their home land by themselves and made the same as part of Pakistan practically 68 years before ? If so why the people of GB should be made sacrifice goat and punished for failure of the people of AJK & J &K to do so in this regard?
12. Keeping in view of above mentioned facts, is there any legal or moral justification left in favor of all the stake holders of AJK & J &K to interfere into affairs of Gilgit Baltistan??
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