Why is India angry at the Pakistani judiciary decision: India has lodged a strong objection to the conclusion of the Pakistani Supreme Court to allow elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Before independence from Britain, Gilgit Baltistan was a part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. But since 1947, Pakistan has control over it.
Pakistan considers Jammu and Kashmir a disputed area and has been demanding an election there, citing UN resolutions.
On the other hand, India says that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and its incorporation with India is legal. Due to this, Gilgit and Baltistan also belong to us.
So when the Supreme Court of Pakistan approved to hold of elections there on April 30, India became angry. The Indian Foreign Ministry has raised a strong objection to this.
The Foreign Ministry says that instead of holding elections to Pakistan, Gilgit and Baltistan should be evacuated immediately. The ministry has said in its statement that Pakistan has no right to hold elections there.
India says that Pakistan has illegally kept these areas under its occupation.
Why is India angry at the Pakistani judiciary’s decision
What has the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared
In its order on April 30, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has said that elections should be held there, and in the meantime, an interim government should be formed there.
And this is a decision, which has happened for the first time regarding Gilgit Baltistan. Generally, before the new elections in Pakistan, an interim government is formed, which monitors the elections.
According to some of the sources in Pakistan, this was not yet done for Gilgit and Baltistan region. This is the first time that there will be elections in September under the leadership of an interim government.
Gilgit Baltistan has held elections many times before, and many have enhanced chief ministers. But this time, the election will be under the supervision of the interim government.
Why is India angry at the Pakistani judiciary decision: A seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed revised the order of the Gilgit-Baltistan government in 2018 to hold elections.
In 2018, Pakistan had given many important powers to the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly, although in that too, the prime minister of Pakistan used to play an important role.
Earlier, there was a committee to decide on Gilgit Baltistan, headed by the PM of Pakistan. But this order of 2009 was revised in 2018.
The tenure of the current government of Gilgit Baltistan ends in June. There should be general elections within 30 days of this.
What is Gilgit Baltistan’s situation?
The Dogra dynasty controlled Gilgit and Baltistan. When Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir agreed to the merger of Jammu and Kashmir with India, there was a revolt here.
The Dogra Governor appointed there was banished, and then Pakistan’s soldiers captured it.
Since 1947, India and Pakistan have been making different claims about Jammu and Kashmir.
This region also borders China with the Xinjiang province and Afghanistan. For this reason, Gilgit Baltistan also has strategic importance.
China’s famous economic corridor plan also passes through Gilgit Baltistan. The Karakoram Highway connecting Pakistan to China is also in this area.
Both the United States and India have already registered their strong objections to the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor.
In 1970, Pakistan gave it the status of a separate administrative unit. In 2009, the then President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari gave it limited autonomy.
Here the Chief Minister is there, but the real power remains in the hands of the Governor.
At one time, there was a demand to include Gilgit Baltistan as the official province of Pakistan.
Still, at that time, Pakistan turned it down, saying that it would affect its demand in the ongoing dispute over the entire Jammu and Kashmir case.
Pakistan considers the whole of Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed area and talks about holding a referendum there under the UN resolutions, although India has been rejecting it.
Spread over 73 thousand kilometers, Gilgit Baltistan has a population of about 2 million.
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