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Gilgit-Baltistan's liberation

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Which area in Gilgit are you from? i am from Yasin, can you speak Khowar, Shina, anything? According to your link:
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While the rest of Pakistan is quite far behind GB in literacy rate. And some areas like Hunza and others have almost a 100% literacy rate. Secondly, the government has indeed failed to do much in the region, though local NGO's have done quite well. Over time infrastructure will improve.


And Pakistan is changing the status of Gilgit Baltistan, it will get more autonomy and constitutional status, along with NA seats. Things will only improve and remain on topic please.
Pakistan to upgrade the constitutional status of its northern Gilgit-Baltistan region
We should thanks to NGO's like AKRSP . The literacy rate is not an outcome of Pakistani govt effort. So what? We have struggled our own. Most people prefer to study in Private schools and the literacy rate of GB increased due to NGO's and Private schools. And Pakistan can't change GB status till the end of Kashmir conflict. Better if Pakistan give full autonomy to GB Like Hongkong in China this will boost the development of GB in within 5 years . GB should be part of Pakistan But Pakistan should not control GB like a colony now pak govt trying to impose tax in an unconstitutional part of pak. which is against universal law "No Taxation Without Representation"
As I mentioned I am from Baltistan region Balti.

I
u

We should thanks to NGO's like AKRSP . The literacy rate is not an outcome of Pakistani govt effort. So what? We have struggled our own. Most people prefer to study in Private schools and the literacy rate of GB increased due to NGO's and Private schools. And Pakistan can't change GB status till the end of Kashmir conflict. Better if Pakistan give full autonomy to GB Like Hongkong in China this will boost the development of GB in within 5 years . GB should be part of Pakistan But Pakistan should not control GB like a colony now pak govt trying to impose tax in an unconstitutional part of pak. which is against universal law "No Taxation Without Representation"
As I mentioned I am from Baltistan region Balti.
Literacy Ranking in Pakistan
1.ISB
2. AJK
3. Punjab
4. GB
So ?
 
u

We should thanks to NGO's like AKRSP . The literacy rate is not an outcome of Pakistani govt effort. So what? We have struggled our own. Most people prefer to study in Private schools and the literacy rate of GB increased due to NGO's and Private schools. And Pakistan can't change GB status till the end of Kashmir conflict. Better if Pakistan give full autonomy to GB Like Hongkong in China this will boost the development of GB in within 5 years . GB should be part of Pakistan But Pakistan should not control GB like a colony now pak govt trying to impose tax in an unconstitutional part of pak. which is against universal law "No Taxation Without Representation"
As I mentioned I am from Baltistan region Balti.

I

Literacy Ranking in Pakistan
1.ISB
2. AJK
3. Punjab
4. GB
So ?
Gilgit is getting a different status whether you like it or not. GB will get constitutional status, source:
Pakistan to upgrade the constitutional status of its northern Gilgit-Baltistan region
Will get seats in NA too.
GB is doing better than Punjab. Stop going off topic, remain on topic.

Rankings reveal state of education in Pakistan - Newspaper - DAWN.COM
537e6d8709ff6.jpg
 
Literacy Ranking in Pakistan
1.ISB
2. AJK
3. Punjab
4. GB
So ?[/QUOTE]
GB is doing better than Punjab ? Haha compare lahore with Gilgit
more than 10 universities in lahore only and in whole GB a lonley university which ranked 58 KIU. We are struggling in every field that is a fact but what Govt of Pakistan doing for us ? Can we build roads, univesities, mediacl colleges, hospitals ? Then what is the purpose of part of Pakistan if all things have to do with our own then why there is a need of pakistan here. Only stealing money and spending on Lahore metro, ornage line universities in Punjab an dso on . I love Pakistan should treat equally


We should thanks to NGO's like AKRSP . The literacy rate is not an outcome of Pakistani govt effort. So what? We have struggled our own. Most people prefer to study in Private schools and the literacy rate of GB increased due to NGO's and Private schools. And Pakistan can't change GB status till the end of Kashmir conflict. Better if Pakistan give full autonomy to GB Like Hongkong in China this will boost the development of GB in within 5 years . GB should be part of Pakistan But Pakistan should not control GB like a colony now pak govt trying to impose tax in an unconstitutional part of pak. which is against universal law "No Taxation Without Representation"
As I mentioned I am from Baltistan region Balti.

I

Literacy Ranking in Pakistan
1.ISB
2. AJK
3. Punjab
4. GB
So ?[/QUOTE]
GB is doing better than Punjab ? Haha compare lahore with Gilgit
more than 10 universities in lahore only and in whole GB a lonley university which ranked 58 KIU. We are struggling in every field that is a fact but what Govt of Pakistan doing for us ? Can we build roads, univesities, mediacl colleges, hospitals ? Then what is the purpose of part of Pakistan if all things have to do with our own then why there is a need of pakistan here. Only stealing money and spending on Lahore metro, ornage line universities in Punjab an dso on . I love Pakistan should treat equally
u

We should thanks to NGO's like AKRSP . The literacy rate is not an outcome of Pakistani govt effort. So what? We have struggled our own. Most people prefer to study in Private schools and the literacy rate of GB increased due to NGO's and Private schools. And Pakistan can't change GB status till the end of Kashmir conflict. Better if Pakistan give full autonomy to GB Like Hongkong in China this will boost the development of GB in within 5 years . GB should be part of Pakistan But Pakistan should not control GB like a colony now pak govt trying to impose tax in an unconstitutional part of pak. which is against universal law "No Taxation Without Representation"
As I mentioned I am from Baltistan region Balti.

I

Literacy Ranking in Pakistan
1.ISB
2. AJK
3. Punjab
4. GB
So ?
 
Pakistan should have a referendum in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Since the majority will vote for Pakistan in both regions, Pakistan should turn the areas into a single fifth province of Pakistan.
 
15. Lease of Gilgit Wizarat-1935. Refer Annex C.
Owing to growing British interests and Great Game factor (fear of Russian aggression), British established Gilgit Agency in 1889, to deal the external affairs with the States. The Agency remained in the control of the British; however, the civil administration of Gilgit Wazarat was run by State of Kashmir. This peculiar arrangement created a dual control which was worrying the British Political Agent here. It was to meet this difficulty that British affected the lease deal with Maharaja of Kashmir. Maharaja was given only suzerain status over local rulers but the territory was never recognized as
Maharaja‟s territory. After the lease the British Political Agent became the local head of civil, military and judicial powers and Kashmir State’s interference was restricted to obtaining consensus in case of succession of local rulers or hoisting of State’s flags at the official Headquarters of army and exploration of minerals rights were reserved with Maharaja of
Kashmir. The lease was enforced for a period of 60 years. It was a fulfillment of their aims that Corps of Gilgit Scouts was raised as a local force of levies in 1889 by Col Durand.
16. The End of British Rule.
At the end of World War II, the victorious imperial powers were not in a position to continue their rule over colonies as the people had been yearning to free themselves from the reigns of imperial rules1 9. Gilgit-Baltistan was a small area not much known, when seen in the overall context of partition plan. Should the territory be formally handed over to chieftains or to Maharaja was a question, as formally the area was under the suzerainty of State of Jammu and Kashmir, although the territory fell outside the boundaries of the State, except the leased area of 1935 Agreement. The officials forgot that the agreement was only for Gilgit Wazarat and not for the other parts of the Agency. Mountbatten never seems to have consulted Mr. Jinnah or Liaqat Ali Khan on the question, and wanted to end the lease and handover entire area to Maharaja of Kashmir. Finally on first August 1947, Gilgit Agency was handed over to Maharaja of Kashmir, in a ceremony and Brigadier Ghansara Singhformally assumed the responsibilities as Governor of Gilgit Wazarat.

17. War of Gilgit-Baltistan Liberation.
Gilgit-Baltistan freedom struggle was an independent affair, though influenced by the currents in South Asia but fought separately by its own people and military men posted there. The Muslim officers of Kashmir State Forces played a leading role, yet the struggle was not a part of Kashmir campaign. The State Army Officers were certainly motivated by an overall Muslim demand in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, yet because of local geographic factor, their activity was limited to Northern Areas. Gilgit was a frontier district, just handed over by the British and Maharaja had to re-establish the authority both civil and military, in this part. The turning of old age suzerainty into real permanent power over the local Rulers and people after the lapse of British sovereignty was a big issue. The Maharaja believed that loyalty of local Rulers to him would guarantee his authority there. Hence he invited Mirs of Hunza, Nagar and Puniyal to Srinagar and they apparently gave their diplomatic loyalty. However, according to Major Brown, Mir of Hunza and Nagar had shown their inability to prove their loyalty to Maharaja, against the wishes of the public. Although there was no political party and political movement in Gilgit-Baltistan in 1947, little doubt existed about public sentiments in favour of Pakistan. Gilgit Scouts, mostly comprising the local tribes was the main force in Gilgit under command of Major Brown, while the 6th Battalion of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (mix of Muslims and Sikhs), and was at Bunji. Prior to independence, the Scouts were paid by the British Raj, however on the eve of the return of the Agency, rumor spread that because of the loyalty issues the Scouts may be disband. Moreover, there was a difference between pay and allowances and concession between troops of Maharaja Forces and Gigit Scouts. Brigadier Ghansara Singh on assumption of the appointment wished to obtain the oath of loyalty from Gilgit Scouts, who refused to do so before the fulfillment of their
demands of bringing the forces at par with the State Forces.
18. Meanwhile underground planning for coup détat against Maharaja Forces was under way, in case Maharaja decided to join India. The plan in rough shape was to arrest the Governor (Brigadier Ghansara Singh) and his administrators in Gilgit by Gilgit Scouts and wipe out Sikh troops of 6 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles stationed at Bunji, confiscate weapons and ammunition from the State Forces and seek help from leaders in Pakistan. According to plan, a squad of Gilgit Scouts besieged Brigadier Ghansara Singh at his residence on the night of 31 October / 1 November 1947 and arrested him. The reinforcement for Gilgit from Bunji and reinforcement for Bunji from Srinagar through Astor was effectively checked by establishing blocking positions on the bridge on River Indus and Astor River. The Dogra and Sikh troops of 6 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles deserted Bunji camp on 3rd November 1947 and the garrison with heavy arms and ammunition fell without firing a single shot. This was followed by pursuit and consolidation phase. The liberation force was organized in three groups launched a three pronged advance as under.
(i) Tiger Force under Colonel Mirza Hassan advanced along axis Bunji - Astor - Zojila Pass.
(ii) (ii) Eskimo Force under Captain Muhammad Shah Khan moved along axis Bunji – Deosai
- Burzil-Dras-Kargil
(iii) (iii) Ibex Force under Colonel Ehsan Ali advanced along up Stream of Indus River in Skardu Valley.

19. These forces fought courageously despite all the odds of terrain, weather and organizational deficiencies and were able to liberate the area up to line Zojila - Dras-Kargil - Leh, by the end of first quarter of 1948. However, Zojila, Dras, Kargil and Leh, but were recaptured by Indian forces through counter offensive by overwhelming forces. It is worth mentioning here that according to Subedar Major Babar Khan, he sent telegrams to Muslim leaders of Pakistan
soon after 14th August but no reply was received.

20. Establishment of Provisional Government.
Between 1st and 3rd November 1947, a Provisional Government was formed with Raja Shah Rais Khan as President of the Provisional Government, Colonel Mirza Hasan Khan as the Head of Military Affairs and Leader of Revolutionary Movement, Captain Durrani Deputy Leader, Lieutenant Ghulam Haider Political Agent, Subedar Major Babar Khan Quarter Master, Raja Sultan Hameed as Police Chief and Major Brown as advisor. A wireless message was sent to the government of Pakistan to send a civil administrator and take over the administrative control.

21. Governance in Post-Independence Era.
On the invitation of Provisional Government, Sardar Alam Khan, the designated representative of Government of Pakistan landed in Gilgit on 16th November 1947 and assumed the appointment of Political Agent. Later, in pursuance to
an order of Governor General, dated 6th April 1948, the Political Resident in North West Frontier Province, based in Peshawar, was directed to act as Agent to Governor General for Gilgit Agency, including Princely States. Northern Areas were thus placed under the administrative control of then North West Frontier Province. U nited Nations Resolution. On 1st January 1948, India formally referred the case of Pakistan’s aggression in Kashmir to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) under article 35 of United Nations Charter. Consequently, on 20th January 1948, a three member delegation visited scene of fighting.

22. On 21 January 1948, United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP), composed of five members was established, with following mandate :-
a. Holding of immediate cease fire by both India and Pakistan.
b. Withdrawal of all tribesmen and Pakistanis.
c. Reduction of forces level by India on restoration of normalcy.
d. The administration of plebiscite by India.

23. Karachi Agreement. Refer Annex D. In March 1949, an agreement was signed by Mr. Mushtaque Ahmad Gormani, Minister without Portfolio Governments of Pakistan, Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Choudhry Ghulam Abbas head of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, in which, matters relating to
Kashmir affairs were broadly distributed as under:-
  1. M atters in Purview of Government of Pakistan. Matters included, defense, foreign affairs, dealing with United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, relief and rehabilitation of refugees and governance affairs / administrative control of Gilgit-Baltistan. This agreement further enhanced the legitimacy of control ofGilgit-Baltistan by Government of Pakistan.
  2. M atters in Purview of Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Responsible for internal management and administration of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and rendering advice to Government of Pakistan about United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan.
24. Transfer to Ministry of Kashmir Affairs. In 1950, the control of Northern Areas was transferred from North West Frontiers Province, to Ministry of Kashmir Affairs through appointment of a Political Resident. This arrangement continued till 1952 when the Joint Secretary Kashmir Affairs was entrusted with the additional charge of the post of Resident of Northern Areas.


@Joe Shearer ,@Gufi ,@saiyan0321 ,@Kambojaric ,@krash ....
 
Full Travel documentary of Gilgit Baltistan from Gilgit to Khunjerab!
35 minutes of exclusive meeting with people of GB

 
Such an informative post. I hope the people of Gilgit & Baltistan secure complete Pakistani citizenship. and In Sha Allah they will soon
 
GILGIT & KASHMIR 1947

A PARTIAL VICTORY

November 1, 1947 is the day when Gilgit, Hunza and Baltistan accede to Pakistan.

Astore, Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar are part of territories conquered by the Dogra Maharajas. Their grip is tenuous and in 1889 the British create the Gilgit Agency as a means of turning the region into a buffer against the Russians. Then in 1935, the British lease the Gilgit Agency for a period of sixty years from Maharaja Hari Singh.

In 1947, Major William Brown, the Assistant Political Agent in Chilas, is informed that Lord Mountbatten has ordered that the 1935 lease of the Gilgit Agency (it still has 49 years to run) be terminated. Gilgit Agency, despite its 99% Muslim population, is to be allotted to the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh.

Meanwhile, stories of communal violence between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in the Punjab reach Gilgit, inflaming passions there. On October 26, 1947, the Maharaja signs the Instrument of Accession and joins India. (The signed document has never been seen.)

Sensing the discontent, Major Brown mutinies on November 1, 1947. He overthrows the governor, establishes a provisional government in Gilgit and telegraphs the chief minister of the NWFP asking Pakistan to take over. According to the leading historian Ahmed Hasan Dani, despite the lack of public participation in the rebellion, pro-Pakistan sentiments are strong amongst civilians.

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Armed Pakhtoon tribesmen wait on a road between Peshawar and Rawalpindi for their leader Bacha Gul of the Mohmand tribe. — Excerpted with permission from Witness to Life and Freedom, Roli Books, Delhi


Upon hearing of Maharaja Hari Singh’s accession to India, these tribesmen wait for Bacha Gul to lead them into battle in Kashmir. They reach the outskirts of Srinagar before they are pushed back to the upper reaches of what constitutes today’s Azad Kashmir.

Resistance in Poonch starts over issues related to taxation, but soon turns into an armed uprising when a public meeting is fired upon by Kashmir state forces. Two days later, the chief minister of the NWFP organises a guerrilla force to attack the Maharaja’s forces in the Dheer Kot camp. According to Australian historian Christopher Snedden, it is the Muslims in the Poonch region of Kashmir who instigate the uprising and not Pakhtoon tribesmen invading from Pakistan, as India consistently maintains.

India’s case on Kashmir is built upon a version of events that asserts that India’s military intervention is in response to a tribal invasion supported by Pakistan. On January 1, 1948, India takes the issue to the UN Security Council. The Security Council pass a resolution calling for Pakistan to withdraw from Jammu and Kashmir and for India to reduce its forces to a minimum level, following which a plebiscite is to be held to ascertain the people’s wishes.

Dispute erupts over the implementation mechanism because of which the Kashmir problem remains unresolved to this day.
 
It is shortly described as the Gilgit Scouts under the command of English Major liberated and occupied Gilgit and Baltistan. It is not mentioned that the main fort of Skardu Kharfuchu Fort was garrisoned with a Sikh force that was for upto a month put under a siege by 400 strong state forces of Chitral as aide in Jihad. The force then made an assault at night and occupied the fort. People in favour of joining Kashmir were put to death by that force, thus upon coming back after the success, the Chitral state commander of that force State-Col Muta ul Mulk was arrested by Pakistan government for the war-crime.
 
Between the Oxus and the Indus
Reginald Charles Francis Schomberg


Summary

Written by Colonel R. C. F. Schomberg and published in 1935, Between the Oxus and the Indus is an account based on several travels in the Gilgit region made by the author during a period of eight years. The territory between the Oxus River and the Indus River, called the Gilgit Agency, was at the time under British rule and administered by officials appointed by the Maharaja of Kashmir. A map of the area can be found in the appendix noted above.

Schomberg gives a general overview of the whole of the Gilgit district as regards both geography and people. He pays attention to local traditions and offers detailed accounts of folklore, marriage customs, heritage laws, as well as annual festivals and ceremonies.

Comprehensive historical accounts of the two states of Hunza and Nagir are presented including the origin of these states and the succession of Mirs, Khans and Wazirs. Comparing the State of Hunza with the State of Nagir, Schomberg clearly favors Hunza, which he often describes in greater detail and with more positive comments than Nagir. The Hunza-Nagir war in 1891 is given due attention because of to its decisive role in the formation of the Gilgit Agency, whereby Hunza and Nagir avoided the risk of becoming a part of Russian Asia. The history of Gilgit, Yasin, Punyal and Ishkoman is elaborated further in three appendices at the end of the volume.

.

Detailed account

Passing through the valley of the Gilgit River and leaving Kashmir territory, Schomberg and his traveling companions enter Punyal, a state of the Gilgit Agency, where they are received by the Raja of Punyal, Anwar Khan. Carrying on to the district of Kuh, they are shown ancient stones that according to a legend used to be dragons pestering the town for generations until a great man cast a spell on them and turned them into stones. At the village of Darkot, the Governor of Yasin, Raja Abdur Rahman Khan becomes their host. Together they watch a performance with men twirling like dervishes accompanied by singing, first in Persian and Chitrali, and later in the local language, Burushashki.

Passing through the Thui valley, Schomberg and his team continue to the State of Ishkoman, where they meet the son of the Raja of Ishkoman, Mir Ahmed Khan. At the capital of Nagir, they are acquainted with Shah Sikandar Khan, Mir of Nagir, who is said to be the descendent of Alexander the Great. The author notes that the Mir’s profile is just like the profile on a Greek coin. A photograph of Shah Sikandar Khan in profile can be found next to page 106. Schomberg meets the Mir of Hunza, Mahomed Nazim Khan on several occasions and describes him as “the outstanding personality of the Gilgit Agency” (p.114). A photograph of the Mir of Hunza can be found next to page 114.

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Comments

Besides personal accounts of environments and experiences, Schomberg writes about the thoughts and feelings of his servants, people they encounter and other temporary travel companions. On several of his travels Schomberg was accompanied by two men from Hunza, Daulat Shah and Abdulla Beg, and two men from Kashmir, Aziza Rathar and Abdulla Rathar, the latter of whom was renamed Subhana, “a fashionable Kashmiri name” (p. 25), since they already had one Abdulla on the crew. Close-up photographs of these men looking straight into the camera can be found after page 26. Schomberg’s tone in representing the feelings of others in both writing and photography, gives us an indication of his willingness to understand the other, within the parameters of his own limits. Many other comments about the people of the region can be unsympathetic and degrading, such as the following about the people of Ishkoman: “The more I saw of the inhabitants of Ishkoman, the more was I struck by their degeneracy; they were poor in physique and lacking in brains; a strange type of mountaineer!” (p. 79).

.http://www.jarringcollection.se/travel/between-the-oxus-and-the-indus/
 
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A group of musicians in Hunza photographed by Col Schomberg during his 1935-36 visit. The photograph was published then in a book called "Between The Oxus and The Indus".


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TRV020Ms.jpg


It shows the area between the Oxus River (also known as the Amu-Darya) in Afghanistan, and the Indus River in Kohistan, a territory called the Gilgit Agency, which was at the time under British rule and administered by officials appointed by the Maharaja of Kashmir. The map is a complement to the geographical and historical accounts of the Gilgit Agency offered by the author after several journeys in the region during a period of eight years. It is a detailed map with cities and towns marked out along rivers and topographical data about mountains. To the south one can see the Tangir and Darel valleys and the Chilas district, to the west the state of Chitral, and to the east the states of Hunza and Punyal as well as the cities of Gilgit and Baltit and the Karakoram mountains. In the center of the map there are the states of Ghizr, Ishkoman and Kuh and the city of Yasin.

You can download the book at this link:
http://www.jarringcollection.se/Library/Travel/TRV020/TRV020s120.pdf
 
Very interesting. Had no idea about the history of GB, but the excerpts above, especially about major brown, reinforce my view that the British were quite favourably disposed towards Pakistan and detested Indians. Which is understandable since gandhi and nehru spent 20 years each in brit prisons during the independence struggle while jinnah was more of a pucca man, who preffered courts rather than prison. I believe he didn't spend a day in prison. And Indians were fighting for independence while pakistanis were fighting for separation.
The brits have still not got over being kicked out by the Indians
 
my view that the British were quite favourably disposed towards Pakistan and detested Indians.

They weren't. They did things to undermine both sides.

And Indians were fighting for independence while pakistanis were fighting for separation.

There is no difference between the two. We just didn't want to be lumped in with the rest of you.
 
They weren't. They did things to undermine both sides.



There is no difference between the two. We just didn't want to be lumped in with the rest of you.
Their is a difference. For eg in 1857 the Sikhs sided with the British as they didn't want to again be under a mughal emperor. To this date the brits have a soft corner for Sikhs and they receive positive press. This action of the Sikhs has a parallel with the Pakistan movement with a Muslim majority not comfortable under a Hindu dominated independent nation. So if you read your own historical books some Muslims didn't even want to separate from the brits. Separation from Hindus was more imp for them than independence.
 
Their is a difference.

No there isn't. We had a different order of priorities, but our struggle wasn't any less than yours. We just went about it in a more professional manner, and as a result achieved our objectives with much less pain. That's called being smart.

Separation from Hindus was more imp for them than independence.

Of course, ultimately, so long as they gave us enough autonomy to act on our own accord we wouldn't mind, so long as we didn't have to be a part of the same country as Indians. I have no qualm in admitting we liked them more than you, and still do.
 
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