People of Gilgit-Baltistan demand unification with India
The unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan has become a matter of concern for Pakistan as the people have been demanding to get united with India, according to Islam Khabar.
Pakistan’s mainstream news media has ignored such wide spread demand in Gilgit-Baltistan, it said.
All Pakistan provinces except Punjab have some time in the past stated that they wanted to get separated from Pakistan. None have, however, desired to go with India. Gilgit-Baltistan has now demanded to get united with India, the news portal said.
According to the Islam Khabar report, it can be detrimental to Pakistan’s narrative about the whole Kashmir dispute.
Though India has not responded to the developments officially, it is likely to cite these demands against Pakistan when the Kashmir dispute is discussed in global events, it said.
“India has maintained its claims on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as an integral part of India. Pakistan, on the other hand, wants the independence of Jammu and Kashmir, which is United with India’s control by blaming India for human atrocities,” according to the Islam Khabar report.
The Indian government, social activists, and news media regularly highlight the issues in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir including the protests over military oppression, lack of basic rights, high inflation, unemployment, and unsustainable resource exploitation among others, the report said.
The Islamabad government may not have realised that such demands for unification may come up. Pakistan’s mainstream news media has ignored such demands in Gilgit- Baltistan.
People have, however, posted videos on social media. In one such video, protestors can be seen raising slogans against the Pakistan government and army, and demanding their region be annexed to Kargil which falls in India’s Ladakh region, the Islam Khabar reported.
