The way the Pakistani authorities have treated this area clearly shows that it is not a Pakistani territory, as no country treat its own area so carelessly. People of this area are deprived of basic human rights, and Pakistani authorities treat it as an ´occupied land´, and it is because of this treatment a prestigious Pakistani magazine the ´Herald´ termed these areas as "The Last Colony".

This unfortunate region which in many ways still lives in dark ages, as it does not benefit from fruits of modern technology and democracy, is split into five districts known as Gilgit, Skardu, Diamir, Ghizer and Ghanche. This area has always been governed directly from Islamabad through an appointed Chief Secretary, who is law in his own right as he is armed with the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) laws. In many cases his decision is final, as there is no judicial system in place to challenge his oppressive rule.

A Pakistani journalist, Ishtiaq Ali Mehkri, wrote in Pakistani English daily, ´Dawn´ and I quote: ´For almost five decades, the area has been under virtual Martial Law. Under the Frontier Crime Regulations, framed by the British during the colonial days, every resident of the area has to report to the local police station once a month and all movements from one village to another have to be reported to the police station´. Although there is Northern Areas Council to regulate local affairs of the area, but the local people believe it to be just a ´rubber stamp´, and another instrument to oppress and control people of this region. Besides the Chief Secretary and a minister for Northern Areas and Kashmir Affairs, there are his six officers, who sit in Islamabad, but the area has no other legal representation. All these people are non- locals, including the judicial commissioner against whose judgements there is no right to appeal.

Because of denial of basic human rights and unfair treatment the people of the region are alienated, and have no opportunity to even express their grievances, as there are no daily news papers or radio stations; and in any case speaking for your rights or criticising government officials is considered as an offence by the rulers and dealt with harshly. According to journalist Ishtiaq Ali Mehkri, this policy has caused, and I quote: ´deprivation and socio-economic backwardness´ and has made this area ´most poverty-ridden parts of the country (he means Pakistan). The people of this area have neither been granted any civil, human and constitutional rights, nor do they have due representation in the legislature.´

The people have now started asking questions, and have started protesting for their rights, but their protests are falling on deaf hears and leaders and political activists are put behind bars for the crime of organising demonstrations. According to one political commentator the, and I quote: ´feeling of alienation among the inhabitants of these areas is growing as Islamabad continues to turn a blind eye to their misery; they feel the government is trying to solve the Kashmir issue at their expense´.

The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, in order to protect rights of his people made a law that non Kashmiris could not purchase land in the State. The Maharaja anticipated that people of other states and provinces of undivided India would be tempted to buy land in this beautiful place and harm economic and social interests of his people.

After forced division of the State between India and Pakistan, authorities in Pakistan started violating this law, and now it has reached such a stage that local people feel that hey will soon become a minority in their home land.

Commenting on the Pakistani governments plan in Gilgit and Baltistan, the chairman All Parties nationalist´s alliance (APNA) Wajahat Hassan and Secretary General Arif Shahid Speaking to media persons in National Press club in Islamabad said, and I quote: ´That under the plan the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are being converted into minority by violating the State Subject Rule. But the Pakistani rulers are violating this law to change population ratio "this is the move to convert the Kashmiris into minority".´

In a newspaper report by Sadaqat Jan claimed that Dr Farooq Haider a leader of JKLF ´complained that the people of Gilgit and Baltistan have no human rights and their grievances are "suppressed". For people in the region to have democracy, he says, the region should be regrouped with Kashmir, even if that means the inclusion of the part controlled by Pakistan for the time being. This, Haider says, will enable the people of Gilgit and Baltistan to send elected representatives to POK´s State Assembly.

Dr Farooq Haider further said, and I quote: ´the people´s urge to win their rights is simmering and agitations are going on in "one way or the other". Arrests have been made. As many as 20 activists of the Baltistan National Front have been languishing in jail for the last three months. Government employees who raise their voice for political rights are "targeted or even demoted". In one case, the headmistress of a girls´ school was dismissed from service on the grounds that her husband was a pro-rights political leader´.

The government of Pakistan have no legal right to control the region and deny people of Gilgit and Baltistan their basic human rights. Some times Pakistani officials make excuses that because this area is disputed and that is why people are not given their rights; but Consciences Pakistani writers and human rights activists have started challenging this. On June 19th, the famous Pakistani English daily, Dawn wrote and I quote: ´called for the area, in which two million people live, to be given´ meaningful political representation´, regardless on the long-standing debate on whether it is part of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region or part of Pakistan´.

Situation on the other side of Line Of Control is not satisfactory either, we find that ongoing militancy has resulted in many problems for the people of Kashmir. Militancy and concentration of large Indian army has resulted in many social and economic problems, not to mention uprooting of thousands of people and death of thousands of innocent civilians. But despite concentration of large army and dominant gun culture in the Indian side of the divide, political activities are allowed to all sections of the Kashmiri community. Kashmiri leaders hold press conferences, give interviews, write in newspapers, hold public meetings and demonstrations; but the same is not allowed in Gilgit and Baltistan, area under Pakistani control.

This denial of rights is happening in 21st century where there is so much emphasis on democracy and human rights, and honourable members will be surprised to know that in Gilgit and Baltistan political activities are not allowed. Right to hold and express a political opinion is an offence, and Mr Nawaz Khan Naji, acting Chairman of the Balwaristan National Front, commits this offence regularly, and he pays price for this as well. According to news paper reports, a few weeks ago while he was travelling in Gakuch area of the Ghezer district, he was shot and seriously injured. He was not attacked by any bandits or smugglers but by people in uniform as they were identified as Constables of the local Gakuch police station. Feelings are running high among the local people over the incident and the BNF and other nationalist parties are planning a protest against the incident.

Also Read: Cries from PoK: Heart beats for India?

http://www.kashmirtelegraph.com/0803/one.htm

The article is excerpted from the submissions made by the author at the UN SUB COMMISSION ON THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, 55th SESSION HELD IN GENEVA BETWEEN 28TH JULY AND 15TH AUGUST 2003, under Item Agenda 2: Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms.