Chapter 3 continues…

Soon the region was named “The Northern Areas of Pakistan” and was put under the direct control of Islamabad, separate from Pakistan-Administered “Azad (Independent) Kashmir.” Unlike Pakistan’s other four provinces, the Northern Areas have no political representation in the parliament or the federal cabinet and no status under Pakistan’s constitution. Also, unlike the other parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) called “Azad Kashmir” which has a modicum of self-governance; these areas are directly administered by Islamabad through a non-elected federal minister for Northern Areas.

The sparsely populated mountainous region has an area of 28,000 square miles, which makes it slightly smaller than North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and more than six times the size of “Azad Kashmir.” Famous for its peaks, rivers, glaciers and exotic cultures, the region is divided into six districts of Gilgit, Skardu, Diamer, Ghizer, Ghanche and Astore. With the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindukush ranges as a backdrop, the region shares borders with China, Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan and Chitral district of NWFP.

Overwhelming majority of the population of two million of the area believed to follow different schools of Shiaism. In the recent past, the schools in the region had to remain closed for almost a year because different sects could not agree on the contents of the textbooks. There have been numerous acts of violence where people have invariably targeted the symbols of government authority like police personnel and government officials. These are nothing but manifestation of people’s alienation with the government. Recent statements by members of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement, where they have not only accused Indian government of not doing enough for them but have also demanded reservation in Indian educational institutions for the residents of Northern Areas (!), shows the level of their alienation with Pakistan. The surrounding areas, which were in the immediate vicinity of the quake affected region, were engulfed in serious sectarian riots.

To be continued…