Islamabad, Feb 23 (IANS) Islamabad’s handling of dissent in Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) has showcased the structural contradictions in the governance model of the region. Despite forcibly having administrative control since 1948, Pakistan has not given full constitutional status to PoGB, resulting in federal government and military-related institutions to have decisive authority over resources and political institutions of PoGB while restricting meaningful local representation, a leading Afghan media outlet has stated.
Economic grievances, energy shortages and concerns over China-backed infrastructure projects have increased in recent years. In response to public mobilisation, Pakistan has imposed coercive measures, arrests and regulatory pressure. The pattern showcases increasing gap between Pakistan’s extractive economic approach and the rising political consciousness of PoGB’s population, an opinion piece in Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press stated.
The constitutional ambiguity of PoGB is the core structural cause for unrest in the region. Following the region’s occupation by Pakistan since 1948, Pakistan has governed PoGB through executive orders instead of constitutional integration. According to analysts, key sectors like minerals, hydropower, and security have remained under federal control despite the apparent devolution.
Political frustration increased after former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s pledge to grant provincial status did not materialise. Instead, Pakistan’s federal government implemented new taxation measures in 2022, leading to widespread protests in Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, and other areas.
Local traders associations and the Awami Action Committee held protests and shutdowns, contending that taxation without constitutional representation violated basic federal principles, Khaama Press reported. Protest leaders argued that revenue collected from PoGB was flowing directly to the federal exchequer without proportional reinvestment in the region, reinforcing the view that Pakistan considers PoGB as a revenue and resource frontier instead of an equal political unit.
Despite having glaciers that feed the Indus River system and possessing deposits of gold, copper, and rare earth minerals, PoGB faces severe energy shortages, especially during winter months when power cuts can go beyond 18 to 20 hours per day in some regions. Local residents and civil society groups have repeatedly voiced concerns regarding the delayed compensation for displaced communities and the lack of local employment guarantees. According to reports, most of workers on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-related projects in PoGB are non-locals, including Chinese nationals and labourers from other provinces of Pakistan.
“These structural grievances have translated into sustained protest activity. Organisations such as the Awami Action Committee, Gilgit-Baltistan National Alliance, GB Youth Movement, and various trader bodies have led recurring demonstrations over electricity shortages, wheat subsidy cuts, taxation, and land acquisition policies. In 2023 and 2024, protests intensified following the federal government’s decision to reduce subsidized wheat quotas, a particularly sensitive issue in a region heavily dependent on government-supported food supply,” the opinion piece in Khaama Press mentioned.
“Large sit-ins in Gilgit and Skardu drew thousands of participants demanding the restoration of subsidies and constitutional rights. Pakistani authorities responded by deploying additional security forces, detaining activists, and invoking public order laws to restrict assemblies. Human rights observers, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, have repeatedly warned about shrinking civic space in PoGB and the use of anti-terror and public safety legislation against peaceful protesters,” it added.
Environmental concerns have been raised over Chinese-supported projects in PoGB. Local activists have raised objections to land acquisition practices, ecological risks, and the lack of transparency in CPEC-related projects and dam construction, it added. Over the past three years, protests have been held against these projects in Hunza and Diamer, with demonstrators stressing that local residents face the environmental costs while Pakistan’s Punjab province and China enjoy economic benefits.
–IANS
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