Integrity Score 240
No Records Found
No Records Found
Chapter 3 continues…
Though the 1949 agreement lapsed after the promulgation of 1970 Act by President Yahya Khan, Pakistan has refused to return the areas to “Azad Kashmir” despite being told by the courts to do so. Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), which treated tribesmen as barbaric and uncivilized and levied collective fines and punishments and had been imposed by the British on the recalcitrant tribes of the Frontier Region, were retained in Northern Areas. In 1963, Pakistan gave away 2,500 square miles of the territory of the former state of Hunza to China as part of Sino-Pak Agreement, despite opposition by Mir of Hunza.
The region has never been represented in Pakistani parliament or even in “Azad Kashmir Assembly.” In 1973, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government initiated reforms in the Gilgit Baltistan region after abolishing the traditional Miri and Rajgi system and the FCR. In 1970, an Advisory Council with 14 elected members was set up and was converted into Northern Areas Council in 1975, but it continued without any legislative or executive powers and was presided over by the Administrator. In 1999, it was expanded and renamed as Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC).
In 2000, the post of Speaker and in 2002 the post of Deputy Speaker were created. During the tenure of first NALC from 1999 to 2004, it failed to legislate on any subject. It did pass 18 resolutions recommending issues of public interest to Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (KANA), however, none of these were executed The attempts by Zia-ul-Haq to introduce Sunni-Deobandi Islam in the region exacerbated the sense of alienation in Northern Areas.
As a result the Sunni Deobandi militant groups, especially Sipah-e-Sahaba, spread their tentacles in this remote tribal region and the Shias and the Ismailis were made to submit to their puritanical aggression. The local population perceived the local administration to be siding with these Sunni extremists. This resulted in the first major violent manifestation of their discontent by the majority Shias in Gilgit in May 1988.
To be continued…