Another attack of Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir State, by Dr Shabir Choudhry

Another attack of Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir State, by Dr Shabir Choudhry

Pakistan has started another operation against former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. This operation is designed to annex Gilgit Baltistan. Capturing of Gilgit Baltistan will make this region fifth ‘Province of Pakistan’; and may start a new war or a cold war in the region.

“After consultation with all stakeholders, the federal government has decided in principle to give constitutional rights to Gilgit-Baltistan.” He accentuated that ‘deprivation of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan of 73 years would come to an end. Besides the constitutional rights and the provincial setup, important steps were also being taken for the development of the region’. 1

Is India responsible for the ‘deprivation’ of these people. Did India oppress them and treated them like sub human beings?

Mr Gandapur, it was your Pakistan who has ruled this region with an iron fist since 1947. Pakistani rulers oppressed people and denied them of their fundamental rights; and no one stopped Pakistan to empower these people.

Yes, India has to share some responsibility. The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, after the Pakistani military attack on Jammu and Kashmir on 22 October 11947, was forced to accede to India. India acquired responsibilities under the accession treaty and the UNCIP Resolutions. India had a duty to protect life liberty, property and honour of all citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit Baltistan and so called Azad Kashmir.

India failed to discharge this responsibility honourably, and left people of these two regions at the mercy of rulers of Pakistan. Furthermore, India even failed to protect life, liberty and property of people in the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under their control. However, this is a topic for some other time.

It is difficult to predict what will happen after Pakistan provide a ‘legal’ cover to its invasion of Gilgit Baltistan. Some people think Pakistani brand of Islam and the redundant Two Nations Theory can only survive if their country has five provinces. Sadly, they lost East Pakistan due to their oppressive and unfair policies, and one way of compensating for that loss is to make Gilgit Baltistan part of Pakistan.

Since their first attack on Jammu and Kashmir on 22 October 1947, they have fooled people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir in name of religion. Because of that, all their attacks on Jammu and Kashmir and wrong doings are perceived as halal – legitimate, justified and appropriate.

Minister of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur, while talking to
media said:

Pakistani attack of October 1947 was designed to capture Jammu and Kashmir. It resulted in death and destruction, loot, plunder and rapes of women and forced division of our motherland. Sadly, still many Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan believe that Pakistani attack was designed to liberate Jammu and Kashmir and help Muslims.

All subsequent attacks were also designed to grab Kashmir. They showed no interest in empowering people of Jammu and Kashmir living under their control, but they never stopped shedding crocodile tears for the people of the Kashmir Valley.

How many times Pakistan has attacked Kashmir, I don’t know. However, I can safely say that they have beaten the record of Mahmood Ghaznavi, Afghan warrior who attacked India seventeen times. His each attack resulted in death and destruction and loot and plunder.

India was building some infrastructure in Ladakh. The Pakistani secret agencies believed that this new infrastructure will help India to attack Siachin and endanger the CPEC route. They persuaded the Chinese that if India is allowed to go ahead with their plans then there will be serious consequences for the Pakistani and the Chinese interests in Gilgit Baltistan.

It is believed that after some serious consultations between Beijing and Islamabad, it was decided that China should engage India in Ladakh and in other areas that they forget their plans to attack Gilgit Baltistan.
Experts who keen interest in the region are of the opinion that China agreed to engage India at various points on LAC for multiple objectives. However, they urged Pakistan to annex Gilgit Baltistan by making changes to their constitution, most likely by amending article 257 of the Constitution of Pakistan, as that will provide a legal cover Pakistan.

China can intervene to protect areas which are ‘legally’ part of Pakistan; but it will be unwise for China to intervene in Gilgit Baltistan if the status of these remain disputed.

All the signs are that Pakistan will go ahead with its plan to annex Gilgit Baltistan. They will find many foot soldiers and mental slaves to welcome this action, and regard it as halal action, which is designed to enhance quality of life of the people.

India is unlikely to take any risks in view of the Chinese and Pakistani collaboration and vested interests in the region. People of Kashmir Valley have their own problems, and at best, they can issue a statement opposing this action.

Like other imperial powers, Pakistan has also a strong network of collaborators, foot soldiers and military might, and in my opinion, subjugated people of Gilgit Baltistan

will not rise up and they will acquiesce. People of so called Azad Kashmir will strongly oppose this on the social media, and in accordance with their past history, will accuse each other and call each other a traitor.
The Pakistani action will, once again provide a solid evidence that they are only interested in territory and resources of Jammu and Kashmir State; and welfare of the people is not on their priority list.

Sadly, this action of Pakistan could prove to be the last nail in the coffin of Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is now known as India Pakistan problem. It will give more credence to this theory that both India and Pakistan are on the same page as far as division of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned. Dr Nazir Gilani, in his recent article on the topic wrote:

‘The action would bring Pakistan at par with Indian actions of 5 August 2019, would be a violation of UN Resolutions on the future of the State, would be a departure from Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir and above all would be considered as a betrayal by the people who have sacrificed a generation of their loved ones. Pakistan would lose trust of the people of the State and there would be unfolding challenges in the courts, at the UN and it would dislodge the Pakistani constituency in Kashmir.’ 2

Constitutional experts believe that India has a legal title in Jammu and Kashmir, because the Ruler of the State acceded to India. Pakistan has no such title. They had a Standstill Agreement with the Jammu and Kashmir State, which they violated and attacked the State with intention to capture it.

In view of this, legal positions of both countries cannot be same. Therefore, all actions of Pakistan, for example, to give away Shaksam Valley to China or to annex Gilgit Baltistan are illegal, and against the UN Resolutions of Jammu and Kashmir.

In conclusion, Pakistan created this dispute by attacking the Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947; and Pakistan will kill the dispute now by Euthanasia. Of course, to give respect to the dead body, and to honour sufferings of other victims, Pakistan will wrap them in the required constitutional changes.

Writer is author of many books on Jammu and Kashmir, TV presenter and a political analyst. Also he is President of Foreign Affairs Committee of UNPNP.

Reference:
1. https://r.tribune.com.pk/…/…/g-b-to-be-made-province-soon-1/ 2. https://dailytimes.com.pk/…/dont-burn-your-fingers-in-gilgi…
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