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Gilgit-Baltistan

January 20, 2023

"Northern Areas" redirects here. For the wider geographical region in Pakistan, see Northern Pakistan. For the location in South Australia, see Northern Areas Council.

Gilgit-Baltistan (/ˌɡɪlɡɪt ˌbɔːltɪˈstɑːn, -stæn/; Urdu: گِلگِت بَلتِسْتان[11]), formerly known as the Northern Areas,[12] is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947, and between India and China from somewhat later.[13] It borders Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang region of China, to the east and northeast, and the Indian-administered union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast.

Gilgit-Baltistan
گِلگِت بَلتِستان
Region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory
Top: Attabad Lake
Bottom: K2
A map of the disputed Kashmir region with the two Pakistani-administered areas shown together in green
Coordinates: 35°21′N 75°54′E / 35.35°N 75.9°E / 35.35; 75.9Coordinates: 35°21′N 75°54′E / 35.35°N 75.9°E / 35.35; 75.9
Administering countryPakistan
Established1 November 1948
CapitalGilgit
Largest citySkardu[2]
Government
[5]
 • TypeAdministrative territory
 • BodyGovernment of Gilgit-Baltistan
 • GovernorSyed Mehdi Shah
 • Chief MinisterKhalid Khurshid
 • Chief SecretaryMuhammad Khuram Aga[3]
 • LegislatureGilgit-Baltistan Assembly
 • High CourtSupreme Appellate Court Gilgit-Baltistan[4]
Area
 • Total72,496 km2 (27,991 sq mi)
 [6]
Population
 (2017)
 • Total1,492,924[1]
Time zoneUTC+05:00 (PKT)
ISO 3166 codePK-GB
LanguagesBalti, Shina, Wakhi, Burushaski, Khowar, Domaki, Purgi, Changthang, Brokskat, Ladakhi, Urdu (administrative)
HDI (2019)0.592 [7]
Medium
Assembly seats33[8]
Divisions3
Districts14[9]
Tehsils31[10]
Union Councils113
Websitegilgitbaltistan.gov.pk

The region, together with Azad Kashmir in the southwest, is grouped and referred to by the United Nations and other international organisations as "Pakistan-administered Kashmir".[note 1] Gilgit-Baltistan is six times larger than Azad Kashmir in terms of geographical area.[18]

The territory of present-day Gilgit-Baltistan became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name "Northern Areas". It was formed by the amalgamation of the former Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan district, and several small former princely states, the largest of which were Hunza and Nagar.[19] In 2009, the region was renamed to "Gilgit-Baltistan" and granted limited autonomy through the Self-Governance Order signed in by former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, a move that was reportedly intended to also empower the territory's people; however, scholars state that the real power rests with the governor and not with the chief minister or elected assembly.[20][21] Much of the population of Gilgit-Baltistan reportedly wants the territory to become integrated with Pakistan proper as a fifth province, and opposes integration with the rest of the Kashmir region.[22][23] The Pakistani government had rejected calls from the territory for provincial status on the grounds that granting such a request would jeopardise Pakistan's demands for the entire Kashmir conflict to be resolved according to all related United Nations resolutions.[24] However, in November 2020, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan announced that Gilgit-Baltistan would attain provisional provincial status after the 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election.[25][26][27]

Gilgit-Baltistan covers an area of over 72,971 km2 (28,174 sq mi)[6] and is highly mountainous. It had an estimated population of 1.249 million people in 2013[28][29] (estimated to be 1.8 million in 2015 (Shahid Javed Burki (2015)). Its capital city is Gilgit (est. population 216,760). The region is home to five of the 14 eight-thousanders, including K2, and additionally has more than fifty mountain peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). Three of the world's longest glaciers outside of Earth's polar regions are found in Gilgit-Baltistan. The main tourism activities are trekking and mountaineering, and this industry has been growing in importance throughout the region.

Early history

Main article: History of Gilgit-Baltistan
 
Photograph of Kargah Buddha in Gilgit; "The ancient Stupa – rock carvings of Buddha, everywhere in the region, point to the firm hold of Buddhism for such a long time."[30]

The rock carvings found in various places in Gilgit-Baltistan, especially in the Passu village of Hunza, suggest a human presence since 2000 BC.[31] Within the next few centuries of human settlement on the Tibetan plateau, this region became inhabited by Tibetans, who preceded the Balti people of Baltistan. Today Baltistan bears similarity to Ladakh physically and culturally (although not in religion). Dards are found mainly in the western areas. These people are the Shina-speaking peoples of Gilgit, Chilas, Astore and Diamir, while in Hunza and the upper regions, Burushaski and Khowar speakers predominate. The Dards find mention in the works of Herodotus,[note 2] Nearchus, Megasthenes, Pliny,[note 3] Ptolemy,[note 4] and the geographical lists of the Puranas.[32] In the 1st century, the people of these regions were followers of the Bon religion while in the 2nd century, they practiced Buddhism.

Between 399 and 414, the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Faxian visited Gilgit-Baltistan.[33] In the 6th century Somana Palola (greater Gilgit-Chilas) was ruled by an unknown king. Between 627 and 645, the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang travelled through this region on his pilgrimage to India.

According to Chinese records from the Tang dynasty, between the 600s and the 700s, the region was governed by a Buddhist dynasty referred to as Bolü (Chinese: 勃律; pinyin: bólǜ), also transliterated as Palola, Patola, Balur.[34] They are believed to have been the Patola Shahis dynasty mentioned in a Brahmi inscription,[35] and devout adherents of Vajrayana Buddhism.[36] At the time, Little Palola (Chinese: 小勃律) was used to refer to Gilgit, while Great Palola (Chinese: 大勃律) was used to refer to Baltistan. However, the records do not consistently disambiguate the two.

 
Map of Tibetan Empire citing the areas of Gilgit-Baltistan as part of its kingdom in 780–790 CE

In mid-600s, Gilgit came under Chinese suzerainty after the fall of the Western Turkic Khaganate to Tang military campaigns in the region. In the late 600s CE, the rising Tibetan Empire wrestled control of the region from the Chinese. However, faced with growing influence of the Umayyad Caliphate and then the Abbasid Caliphate to the west, the Tibetans were forced to ally themselves with the Islamic caliphates. The region was then contested by Chinese and Tibetan forces, and their respective vassal states, until the mid-700s.[37] Rulers of Gilgit formed an alliance with the Tang Chinese, and held back the Arabs with their help.[38]

Between 644 and 655, Navasurendrāditya-nandin became king of the Palola Sāhi dynasty in Gilgit.[39] Numerous Sanskrit inscriptions, including the Danyor Rock Inscriptions, were discovered to be from his reign.[40] In the late 600s and early 700s, Jayamaṅgalavikramāditya-nandin was king of Gilgit.[39]

According to Chinese court records, in 717 and 719 respectively, delegations of a ruler of Great Palola (Baltistan) named Su-fu-she-li-ji-li-ni (Chinese: 蘇弗舍利支離泥; pinyin: sūfúshèlìzhīlíní) reached the Chinese imperial court.[41][42] By at least 719/720, Ladakh (Mard) became part of the Tibetan Empire. By that time, Buddhism was practised in Baltistan, and Sanskrit was the written language.

In 720, the delegation of Surendrāditya (Chinese: 蘇麟陀逸之; pinyin: sūlíntuóyìzhī) reached the Chinese imperial court. He was referred to in Chinese records as the king of Great Palola; however, it is unknown if Baltistan was under Gilgit rule at the time.[43] The Chinese emperor also granted the ruler of Cashmere, Chandrāpīḍa ("Tchen-fo-lo-pi-li"), the title of "King of Cashmere". By 721/722, Baltistan had come under the influence of the Tibetan Empire.[44]

In 721–722, the Tibetan army attempted but failed to capture Gilgit or Bruzha (Yasin valley). By this time, according to Chinese records, the king of Little Palola was Mo-ching-mang (Chinese: 沒謹忙; pinyin: méijǐnmáng). He had visited the Tang court requesting military assistance against the Tibetans.[43] Between 723 and 728, the Korean Buddhist pilgrim Hyecho passed through this area. In 737/738, Tibetan troops under the leadership of Minister Bel Kyesang Dongtsab of Emperor Me Agtsom took control of Little Palola. By 747, the Chinese army under the leadership of the ethnic-Korean commander Gao Xianzhi had recaptured Little Palola.[45] Great Palola was subsequently captured by the Chinese army in 753 under military Governor Feng Changqing. However, by 755, due to the An Lushan rebellion, the Tang Chinese forces withdrew and were no longer able to exert influence in Central Asia or in the regions around Gilgit-Baltistan.[46] The control of the region was left to the Tibetan Empire. They referred to the region as Bruzha, a toponym that is consistent with the ethnonym "Burusho" used today. Tibetan control of the region lasted until late-800s CE.[47]

Turkic tribes practising Zoroastrianism arrived in Gilgit during the 7th century, and founded the Trakhan dynasty in Gilgit.[38]

Medieval history

In the 14th century, Sufi Muslim preachers from Persia and Central Asia introduced Islam in Baltistan. Famous amongst them was Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, who came through Kashmir[48] while in the Gilgit region Islam entered in the same century through Turkic Tarkhan rulers. Gilgit-Baltistan was ruled by many local rulers, amongst whom the Maqpon dynasty of Skardu and the Rajas of Hunza were famous. The Maqpons of Skardu unified Gilgit-Baltistan with Chitral and Ladakh, especially in the era of Ali Sher Khan Anchan[49] who had friendly relations with the Mughal court.[50] Anchan's reign brought prosperity and entertained art, sport, and variety in architecture. He introduced polo to the Gilgit region, and sent a group of musicians from Chitral to Delhi to learn Indian music; Mughal architecture influenced the architecture of the region as well under his reign.[51] Later Anchan in his successors Abdal Khan had great influence though in the popular literature of Baltistan, where he is still alive as a dark figure by the nickname "Mizos", "man-eater". The last Maqpon Raja, Ahmed Shah, ruled all of Baltistan between 1811 and 1840. The areas of Gilgit, Chitral and Hunza had already become independent of the Maqpons.[citation needed]

Before the demise of Shribadat, a group of Shina people migrated from Gilgit Dardistan and settled in the Dras and Kharmang areas. The descendants of those Dardic people can be still found today, and are believed to have maintained their Dardic culture and Shina language up to the present time.[citation needed]

Modern history

Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir

 
The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, (National Geographic, 1946). Shown are the Gilgit Agency, consisting of subsidiary states of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Gilgit wazarat, including the Gilgit Leased Area (shown in white). Baltistan was part of the large area of the Ladakh-Baltistan wazarat in the east.
 
The last Maqpon Raja Ahmed Shah (died in prison in Lhasa[52] c. 1845)

In November 1839, Dogra commander Zorawar Singh, whose allegiance was to Gulab Singh, started his campaign against Baltistan.[53] By 1840 he conquered Skardu and captured its ruler, Ahmad Shah. Ahmad Shah was then forced to accompany Zorawar Singh on his raid into Western Tibet. Meanwhile, Baghwan Singh was appointed as administrator (thanadar) in Skardu. But in the following year, Ali Khan of Rondu, Haidar Khan of Shigar and Daulat Ali Khan from Khaplu led a successful uprising against the Dogras in Baltistan and captured the Dogra commander Baghwan Singh in Skardu.[54]

In 1842, Dogra Commander Wasir Lakhpat, with the active support of Ali Sher Khan (III) from Kartaksho, conquered Baltistan for the second time. There was a violent capture of the fortress of Kharphocho. Haidar Khan from Shigar, one of the leaders of the uprising against the Dogras,[55] was imprisoned and died in captivity. Gosaun was appointed as administrator (Thanadar) of Baltistan and till 1860, the entire region of Gilgit-Baltistan was under the Sikhs and then the Dogras.[56][57]

After the defeat of the Sikhs in the First Anglo-Sikh War, the region became a part of the Jammu and Kashmir princely state, which since 1846 had remained under the rule of the Dogras. The population in Gilgit perceived itself as ethnically different from Kashmiris and disliked being ruled by the Kashmir state.[58] The region remained with the princely state, with temporary leases of some areas assigned to the British, until 1 November 1947.

First Kashmir War

After Pakistan's independence, Jammu and Kashmir initially remained an independent state. Later on 22 October 1947, tribal militias backed by Pakistan crossed the border into Jammu and Kashmir after Poonch rebellion and Jammu Muslim massacre.[59][60] Hari Singh made a plea to India for assistance and signed the Instrument of Accession, making his state a part of India. India air-lifted troops to defend the Kashmir Valley and the invaders were pushed back behind Uri.

Gilgit's population did not favour the State's accession to India.[61] The Muslims of the frontier ilaqas (Gilgit and the adjoining hill states) had wanted to join Pakistan.[62] Sensing their discontent, Major William Brown, the Maharaja's commander of the Gilgit Scouts, mutinied on 1 November 1947, overthrowing the governor Ghansara Singh. The bloodless coup d'état was planned by Brown to the last detail under the code name "Datta Khel", which was also joined by a rebellious section of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces under Mirza Hassan Khan. Brown ensured that the treasury was secured and minorities were protected. A provisional government (Aburi Hakoomat) was established by the Gilgit locals with Raja Shah Rais Khan as the president and Mirza Hassan Khan as the commander-in-chief. However, Major Brown had already telegraphed Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan asking Pakistan to take over. Pakistan's political agent, Khan Mohammad Alam Khan, arrived on 16 November and took over the administration of Gilgit.[63][64] Brown outmaneuvered the pro-Independence group and secured the approval of the mirs and rajas for accession to Pakistan.[65] According to Brown,

Alam replied [to the locals], "you are a crowd of fools led astray by a madman. I shall not tolerate this nonsense for one instance... And when the Indian Army starts invading you there will be no use screaming to Pakistan for help, because you won't get it."... The provisional government faded away after this encounter with Alam Khan, clearly reflecting the flimsy and opportunistic nature of its basis and support.[66]

The provisional government lasted 16 days. According to scholar Yaqub Khan Bangash, it lacked sway over the population. The Gilgit rebellion did not have civilian involvement and was solely the work of military leaders, not all of whom had been in favour of joining Pakistan, at least in the short term. Historian Ahmed Hasan Dani says that although there had been a lack of public participation in the rebellion, pro-Pakistan sentiments were intense in the civilian population and their anti-Kashmiri sentiments were also clear.[67] According to various scholars, the people of Gilgit as well as those of Chilas, Koh Ghizr, Ishkoman, Yasin, Punial, Hunza and Nagar joined Pakistan by choice.[68][69][70][71][72]

After taking control of Gilgit, the Gilgit Scouts along with Azad irregulars moved towards Baltistan and Ladakh and captured Skardu by May 1948. They successfully blocked Indian reinforcements sent to relieve Skardu, and proceeded towards Kargil and Leh. Indian forces mounted an offensive in the autumn of 1948 to push them back from Ladakh, but Baltistan came into the rebels' territory.[73][74]

On 1 January 1948, India took the issue of Jammu and Kashmir to the United Nations Security Council. In April 1948, the Council passed a resolution calling for Pakistan to withdraw from all of Jammu and Kashmir and for India to reduce its forces to the minimum level, following which a plebiscite would be held to ascertain the people's wishes.[75] However, no withdrawal was ever carried out. India insisted that Pakistan had to withdraw first and Pakistan contended there was no guarantee that India would withdraw afterwards.[76] Gilgit-Baltistan, along with the western districts that came to be called Azad Kashmir, have remained under the control of Pakistan ever since.[77]

Inside Pakistan

While the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan expressed a desire to join Pakistan after gaining independence from Maharaja Hari Singh, Pakistan declined to merge the region into itself because of the territory's link to Jammu and Kashmir.[71] For a short period after joining Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan was governed by Azad Kashmir if only "theoretically, but not practically" through its claim of being an alternative government for Jammu and Kashmir.[78] In 1949, the Government of Azad Kashmir handed over the administration of Gilgit-Baltistan to the federal government under the Karachi Agreement. According to Indian journalist Paul Sahni, this is seen as an effort by Pakistan to legitimise its rule over Gilgit-Baltistan.[79]

According to Pakistani analyst Ershad Mahmud, there were two reasons why administration was transferred from Azad Kashmir to Pakistan:

  • the region was inaccessible from Azad Kashmir, and
  • because both the governments of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan knew that the people of the region were in favour of joining Pakistan in a potential referendum over Kashmir's final status.[71]

According to the International Crisis Group, the Karachi Agreement is highly unpopular in Gilgit-Baltistan because Gilgit-Baltistan was not a party to it even while it was its own fate was being decided.[80]

From then until the 1990s, Gilgit-Baltistan was governed through the colonial-era Frontier Crimes Regulations, which were originally created for the northwest tribal regions. They treated tribal people as "barbaric and uncivilised," levying collective fines and punishments.[81][82] People had no right to legal representation or appeal.[83][82] Members of tribes had to obtain prior permission from the police to travel anywhere, and had to keep the police informed about their movements.[84][85] There was no democratic set-up during this period. All political and judicial powers remained in the hands of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (KANA). The people of Gilgit-Baltistan were deprived of rights enjoyed by citizens of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.[86]

A primary reason for this state of affairs was the remoteness of Gilgit-Baltistan. Another factor was that the whole of Pakistan itself was deficient in democratic norms and principles, therefore the federal government did not prioritise democratic development in the region. There was also a lack of public pressure as an active civil society was absent in the region, with young educated residents usually opting to live in Pakistan's urban centers instead of staying in the region.[86]

Northern Areas

In 1970 the two parts of the territory, viz., the Gilgit Agency and Baltistan, were merged into a single administrative unit, and given the name "Northern Areas".[87][failed verification] The Shaksgam tract was ceded by Pakistan to China following the signing of the Sino-Pakistani Frontier Agreement in 1963.[88][89] In 1969, a Northern Areas Advisory Council (NAAC) was created, later renamed to Northern Areas Council (NAC) in 1974 and Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) in 1994. But it was devoid of legislative powers. All law-making was concentrated in the KANA Ministry of Pakistan. In 1994, a Legal Framework Order (LFO) was created by the KANA Ministry to serve as the de facto constitution for the region.[90][91]

In 1974, the former State Subject law was abolished in Gilgit Baltistan, and Pakistanis from other areas could buy land and settle.[92]

In 1984 the territory's importance shot up within Pakistan with the opening of the Karakoram Highway and the region's population became more connected to mainland Pakistan. The improved connectivity facilitated the local population to avail itself of educational opportunities in the rest of Pakistan.[93] Italso allowed the political parties of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir to set up local branches, raise political awareness in the region. According to Ershad Mahmud, these Pakistani political parties have played a 'laudable role' in organising a movement for democratic rights among the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan.[86]

In the 1988 Gilgit Massacre, groups of Islamist Sunnis, supported by Osama bin Laden, Pervez Musharraf, General Zia-ul Haq and Mirza Aslam Beg slaughtered hundreds of local Shias.[94]

Present structure

In the late 1990s, the President of Al-Jihad Trust filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to determine the legal status of Gilgit-Baltistan. In its judgement of 28 May 1999, the Court directed the Government of Pakistan to ensure the provision of equal rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, and gave it six months to do so. Following the Supreme Court decision, the government took several steps to devolve power to the local level. However, in several policy circles, the point was raised that the Pakistani government was helpless to comply with the court verdict because of the strong political and sectarian divisions in Gilgit-Baltistan and also because of the territory's historical connection with the still disputed Kashmir region, and that this prevented the determination of Gilgit-Baltistan's real status.[95]

A position of 'Deputy Chief Executive' was created to act as the local administrator, but the real powers still rested with the 'Chief Executive', who was the Federal Minister of KANA. "The secretaries were more powerful than the concerned advisors," in the words of one commentator. In spite of various reforms packages over the years, the situation is essentially unchanged.[96] Meanwhile, public rage in Gilgit-Baltistan "[grew] alarmingly." Prominent "antagonist groups" have mushroomed protesting the absence of civic rights and democracy.[97] The Pakistani government has debated granting provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan.[98] Gilgit-Baltistan has been a member state of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization since 2008.[99] According to Antia Mato Bouzas, the PPP-led Pakistani government has attempted a compromise through its 2009 reforms between its traditional stand on the Kashmir dispute and the demands of locals, most of whom may have pro-Pakistan sentiments. While the 2009 reforms have added to the self-identification of the region, they have not resolved the constitutional status of the region within Pakistan.[100]

According to 2010 news reports, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan want to merge into Pakistan as a separate fifth province.[22][23] However, as of 2015 leaders of Azad Kashmir were opposed to any step towards integrating Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan.[101] The people of Gilgit-Baltistan have opposed integration with Azad Kashmir. They desire Pakistani citizenship and a constitutional status for their region.[22][23]

In 2016, for the first time in the country's Constitution, Gilgit-Baltistan had been mentioned by name.[102]

In September 2020, it was reported that Pakistan decided to elevate Gilgit-Baltistan's status to that of a full-fledged province.[103][104]

Government

Main article: Government of Gilgit-Baltistan
 
Gilgit Baltisan assembly located in Jutial Gilgit

The territory of present-day Gilgit-Baltistan became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name "Northern Areas". It was formed by the amalgamation of the former Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan District of the Ladakh Wazarat and the hill states of Hunza and Nagar. It presently consists of fourteen districts,[9][105] has a population approaching one million and an area of approximately 73,000 square kilometres (28,000 square miles), and shares borders with Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and India. In 1993, an attempt was made by the High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to annex Gilgit-Baltistan but was quashed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after protests by the locals of Gilgit-Baltistan, who feared domination by the Kashmiris.[24]

Government of Pakistan abolished State Subject Rule in Gilgit-Baltistan in 1974, which resulted in demographic changes in the territory.[106][107] While administratively controlled by Pakistan since the First Kashmir War, Gilgit-Baltistan has never been formally integrated into the Pakistani state and does not participate in Pakistan's constitutional political affairs.[108][109] On 29 August 2009, the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009, was passed by the Pakistani cabinet and later signed by the then President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari.[110] The order granted self-rule to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, by creating, among other things, an elected Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly and Gilgit-Baltistan Council. Gilgit-Baltistan thus gained a de facto province-like status without constitutionally becoming part of Pakistan.[108][111] Currently, Gilgit-Baltistan is neither a province nor a state. It has a semi-provincial status.[112] Officially, the Pakistan government had rejected Gilgit-Baltistani calls for integration with Pakistan on the grounds that it would jeopardise its demands for the whole Kashmir issue to be resolved according to UN resolutions.[24] Some Kashmiri nationalist groups, such as the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, claim Gilgit-Baltistan as part of a future independent state to match what existed in 1947.[24] India, on the other hand, maintains that Gilgit-Baltistan is a part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that is "an integral part of the country [India]."[113]

The Gilgit-Baltistan Police (GBP) is responsible for law enforcement in Gilgit-Baltistan. The mission of the force is the prevention and detection of crime, maintenance of law and order and enforcement of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Regions

 
Gilgit-Baltistan is administered as three divisions
 
Fourteen districts in 2019

Gilgit-Baltistan is administratively divided into three divisions: Baltistan, Diamer and Gilgit,[114] which, in turn, are divided into fourteen districts. The principal administrative centers are the towns of Gilgit and Skardu.

Division District Area (km2) Capital Population (2013)[115] Divisional Capital
Baltistan Ghanche 4,052 Khaplu 108,000 Skardu
Shigar 8,500 Shigar -
Kharmang 5,500 Kharmang -
Skardu 8,700 Skardu 305,000*
Roundu NA Dambudas NA
Gilgit Gilgit 14,672 Gilgit 222,000 Gilgit
Ghizer 9,635 Gahkuch 190,000
Hunza 7,900 Aliabad 70,000 (2015)[116]
Nagar 5,000 Nagar 51,387 (1998)[115]
Gupis–Yasin NA Phander? NA
Diamer Diamer 10,936 Chilas 214,000 Chilas
Astore 5,092 Eidghah 114,000
Darel NA Darel NA
Tangir NA Tangir NA

* Combined population of Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang and Roundu districts. Shigar and Kharmang Districts were carved out of Skardu District after 1998. The estimated population of Gilgit-Baltistan was about 1.8 million in 2015[19] and the overall population growth rate between 1998 and 2011 was 63.1% making it 4.85% annually.[117][118]

Security

Security in Gilgit-Baltistan is provided by the Gilgit-Baltistan Police, the Gilgit Baltistan Scouts (a paramilitary force), and the Northern Light Infantry (part of the Pakistani Army).

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Gilgit-Baltistan
Naltar Lakes
 
Naltar Lake or Bashkiri Lake-I
 
Naltar Lake or Bashkiri Lake-II
 
Azure coloured water of Naltar Lake III
Surface elevation = 3050–3150 m[citation needed]

Gilgit-Baltistan borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, a small portion of the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to the northeast, the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast, and the Pakistani-administered state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the south.

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to all five of Pakistan's "eight-thousanders" and to more than fifty peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). Gilgit and Skardu are the two main hubs for expeditions to those mountains. The region is home to some of the world's highest mountain ranges. The main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. The Pamir Mountains are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world.

Three of the world's longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in Gilgit-Baltistan: the Biafo Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier, and the Batura Glacier. There are, in addition, several high-altitude lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan:

The Deosai Plains are located above the tree line and constitute the second-highest plateau in the world after Tibet, at 4,115 metres (13,501 ft). The plateau lies east of Astore, south of Skardu and west of Ladakh. The area was declared as a national park in 1993. The Deosai Plains cover an area of almost 5,000 square kilometres (1,900 sq mi). For over half the year (between September and May), Deosai is snow-bound and cut off from rest of Astore and Baltistan in winters. The village of Deosai lies close to Chilum chokki and is connected with the Kargil district of Ladakh through an all-weather road.

Rock art and petroglyphs

There are more than 50,000 pieces of rock art (petroglyphs) and inscriptions all along the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan, concentrated at ten major sites between Hunza and Shatial. The carvings were left by invaders, traders, and pilgrims who passed along the trade route, as well as by locals. The earliest date back to between 5000 and 1000 BCE, showing single animals, triangular men and hunting scenes in which the animals are larger than the hunters. These carvings were pecked into the rock with stone tools and are covered with a thick patina that proves their age.

The ethnologist Karl Jettmar [de] has pieced together the history of the area from inscriptions and recorded his findings in Rock Carvings and Inscriptions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan[119] and the later-released Between Gandhara and the Silk Roads — Rock Carvings Along the Karakoram Highway.[120] Many of these carvings and inscriptions will be inundated and/or destroyed when the planned Basha-Diamir dam is built and the Karakoram Highway is widened.

Climate

 
Mountains covered in snow, as seen from the Raja Bazar Road Gilgit

The climate of Gilgit-Baltistan varies from region to region, since the surrounding mountain ranges create sharp variations in weather. The eastern part has the moist zone of the western Himalayas, but going toward Karakoram and Hindu Kush, the climate gets considerably drier.[121]

There are towns like Gilgit and Chilas that are very hot during the day in summer yet cold at night and valleys like Astore, Khaplu, Yasin, Hunza, and Nagar, where the temperatures are cold even in summer.[122]

Climate Change Effects

Main article: 2022 Gilgit-Baltistan floods

Climate change has adversely effected this region with more rains every year. On 26 August 2022, most villages in Ghizer district and Hunza were severely effected by the ongoing flooding displacing many people.

Economy and resources

 
Montage of Gilgit-Baltistan
See also: Education in Gilgit-Baltistan

The economy of the region is primarily based on a traditional trade route, the historic Silk Road. The China Trade Organization forum led the people of the area to actively invest and learn modern trade know-how from their Chinese neighbour, Xinjiang.[citation needed] Later, the establishment of a chamber of commerce and the Sust dry port in Gojal Hunza are milestones. The rest of the economy is shouldered by mainly agriculture and tourism. Agricultural products are wheat, corn (maize), barley, and fruits. Tourism is mostly in trekking and mountaineering, and this industry is growing in importance.[123][124]

In early September 2009, Pakistan signed an agreement with the People's Republic of China for a major energy project in Gilgit-Baltistan which includes the construction of a 7,000-megawatt dam at Bunji in the Astore District.[111]

Mountaineering

 
View of Laila Peak, which is located near Hushe Valley (a town in Khaplu)
 
The Trango Towers offer some of the largest cliffs and most challenging rock climbing in the world, and every year a number of expeditions from all corners of the globe visit Karakoram to climb the challenging granite.[125]

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to more than 20 peaks of over 6,100 metres (20,000 ft), including K-2 the second highest mountain on Earth.[126] Other well known peaks include Masherbrum (also known as K1), Broad Peak, Hidden Peak, Gasherbrum II, Gasherbrum IV, and Chogolisa, situated in Khaplu Valley. The following peaks have so far been scaled by various expeditions:

Name of Peak Photos Height First known ascent Location
1.K-2   (28,250 ft) 31 July 1954 Karakoram
2. Nanga Parbat   (26,660 ft) 3 July 1953 Himalaya
3. Gasherbrum I   (26,360 ft) 7 July 1956 Karakoram
4. Broad Peak   (26,550 ft) 9 June 1957 Karakoram
5. Muztagh Tower   (23,800 ft) 6 August 1956 Karakoram
6. Gasherbrum II   (26,120 ft) 4 July 1958 Karakoram
7. Hidden Peak   (26,470 ft) 4 July 1957 Karakoram
8. Khunyang Chhish   (25,761 ft) 4 July 1971 Karakoram
9. Masherbrum   (25,659 ft) 4 August 1960 Karakoram
10. Saltoro Kangri   (25,400 ft) 4 June 1962 Karakoram
11. Chogolisa   (25,148 ft) 4 August 1963 Karakoram

Basic facilities

 
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited LPG Air Mix Plant in Gilgit

Gilgit has not received a gas pipeline infrastructure since Pakistan's independence, unlike other cities. Through the importation of gas cylinders from other provinces, many private gas contractors offer gas cylinders. The LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Air Mix Plant project by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited was unveiled in 2020 with the goal of bringing the gas facility to Gilgit. This will significantly reduce deforestation as public uses wood from trees for heating and lighting purpose. The first head office has been built in Gilgit City.[127]

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan
 
Cold Desert, Skardu is the world's highest desert
 
Sheosar Lake is in the western part of Deosai National Park

Gilgit Baltistan is the capital of tourism in Pakistan. Gilgit Baltistan is home to some of the highest peaks in the world, including K2 the second highest peak in the world. Gilgit Baltistan's landscape includes mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys. Gilgit Baltistan is not only known for its mountains — it is also visited for its landmarks, culture, history and people.[128] K2 Basecamp, Deosai, Naltar, Fairy Meadows Bagrot Valley and Hushe valley are common places to visit in Gilgit Baltistan.[129]

Transport

Main article: Provincial Highways of Gilgit-Baltistan
 
National Highway N-15 has abrupt direction changes which is a challenge for drivers who use this route to reach Gilgit

Before 1978, Gilgit-Baltistan was cut off from the rest of the Pakistan and the world due to the harsh terrain and the lack of accessible roads. All of the roads to the south opened toward the Pakistan-administered state of Azad Kashmir and to the southeast toward the present-day Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. During the summer, people could walk across the mountain passes to travel to Rawalpindi. The fastest way to travel was by air, but air travel was accessible only to a few privileged local people and to Pakistani military and civilian officials. Then, with the assistance of the Chinese government, Pakistan began construction of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), which was completed in 1978. The journey from Rawalpindi / Islamabad to Gilgit takes approximately 20 to 24 hours.

The Karakoram Highway connects Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu, which are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in Gilgit-Baltistan. Northern Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO) offers bus and jeep transport service to the two hubs and several other popular destinations, lakes, and glaciers in the area. Landslides on the Karakoram Highway are very common. The Karakoram Highway connects Gilgit to Tashkurgan Town, Kashgar, China via Sust, the customs and health-inspection post on the Gilgit-Baltistan side, and the Khunjerab Pass, the highest paved international border crossing in the world at 4,693 metres (15,397 ft).

In March 2006, the respective governments announced that, commencing on 1 June 2006, a thrice-weekly bus service would begin across the boundary from Gilgit to Kashgar and road-widening work would begin at 600 kilometres (370 mi) of the Karakoram Highway. There would also be one daily bus in each direction between the Sust and Taxkorgan border areas of the two political entities.[130]

 
ATR 42–500 on Gilgit Airport. Picture taken on 10 July 2016

Pakistan International Airlines used to fly a Fokker F27 Friendship daily between Gilgit Airport and Benazir Bhutto International Airport. The flying time was approximately 50 minutes, and the flight was one of the most scenic in the world, as its route passed over Nanga Parbat, a mountain whose peak is higher than the aircraft's cruising altitude. However, the Fokker F27 was retired after a crash at Multan in 2006. Currently, flights are being operated by PIA to Gilgit on the brand-new ATR 42–500, which was purchased in 2006. With the new plane, the cancellation of flights is much less frequent. Pakistan International Airlines also offers regular flights of a Boeing 737 between Skardu and Islamabad. All flights are subject to weather clearance; in winter, flights are often delayed by several days.

A railway through the region has been proposed; see Khunjerab Railway for details.

Demographics

Population

The population of Gilgit Baltistan is 1,492,924 as of 2017.[1] The estimated population of Gilgit-Baltistan in 2013 was 1.249 million,[28][29] and it was 873,000 in 1998.[131] Approximately 14% of the population was urban.[132] The fertility rate is 4.7 children per woman, which is the highest in Pakistan.[133]

The population of Gilgit-Baltistan consists of many diverse linguistic, ethnic, and religious sects, due in part to the many isolated valleys separated by some of the world's highest mountains. The ethnic groups include Shins, Yashkuns, Kashmiris, Kashgaris, Pamiris, Pathans, and Kohistanis.[134] A significant number of people from Gilgit-Baltistan are residing in other parts of Pakistan, mainly in Punjab and Karachi. The literacy rate of Gilgit-Baltistan is approximately 72%.

In 2017 census, Gilgit District has the highest population of 330,000 and Hunza District the lowest of 50,000.[131]

Languages

Gilgit-Baltistan is a multilingual region where Urdu being a national and official language serves as the lingua franca for inter ethnic communications. English is co-official and also used in education, while Arabic is used for religious purposes. The table below shows a break-up of Gilgit-Baltistan first-language speakers.

Rank Language Detail[135][136][137][138][139][140][141][142]
1 Shina It is a Dardic language spoken by the majority in six tehsils (Gilgit, Diamir/Chilas, Darel/Tangir, Astore, Puniyal/Gahkuch and Rondu).
2 Balti It is spoken by the majority in five tehsils (Skardu/Shigar, Kharmang, Gultari, Khaplu and Mashabrum). It is from the Tibetan language family and has Urdu borrowings.
3 Burushaski It is spoken by the majority in four tehsils (Nagar 1, Hunza/Aliabad, Nagar II, and Yasin). It is a language isolate that has borrowed considerable Urdu vocabulary.
4 Khowar It is spoken by the majority in two tehsils (Gupis and Ishkomen) but also spoken in Yasin and Puniyal/Gahkuch Tehsils. Like Shina, it is a Dardic language.
5 Wakhi It is spoken by the majority of people in Gojal Tehsil of Hunza. But it is also spoken in the Yasin and Ishkomen tehsils of Gupis-Yasin and Ghizer districts. It is classified as eastern Iranian/ Pamiri language.
Others Pashto, Kashmiri, Domaaki (spoken by musician clans in the region) and Gojri languages are also spoken by a significant population of the region.

Religion

 
A pie chart showing the Sectarian divide of Gilgit-Baltistan
Sectarian divide of Gilgit-Baltistan[143]
Sects Percent
Shia
 
 39.85%
Sunni
 
 30.05%
Ismaili
 
 24%
Noorbakhshis
 
 6.1%

The population of Gilgit-Baltistan is entirely Muslim and is denominationally the most diverse in the country. The region is also the only Shia-plurality area in an otherwise Sunni-dominant Pakistan.[144] People in the Skardu district are mostly Shia, while Diamir and Astore districts have Sunni majorities. Ghanche has a Noorbakhshi population, and Ghizar has an Ismaili majority.[145] The populations in Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar districts are composed of a mix of all of these sects.[143] According to Indian government official, B. Raman, the Shias and Ismailis constituted about 85% of the population in 1948.[146][note 5] Raman claims the proportion was brought down by General Zia ul-Haq through a conscious policy of demographic change by encouraging the migration of Sunnis from other provinces and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, in an effort to counter the growing sectarian consciousness of the Shias after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.[146] Recent surveys show that Shia Ismaili women, both rural and urban, have high rates of contraceptives usage and low fertility rates; by contrast Sunni women, especially in rural areas, have low rates of contraceptive usage and high fertility rates.[151]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Gilgit-Baltistan
Architecture
 
Baltit fort, Hunza
 
Khaplu Palace
 
Chaqchan Mosque, Khaplu
"Mostly the architecture have been influenced by Tibetan Architecture as the above images are testimonials of it."[30]
 
Dance of Swati Guests with traditional music at Baltit Fort in 2014
 
Wakhi musicians in Gulmit.
 
One of the poplular dish of this region is Chapchor. It is widely made in Nagar Valley and Hunza Valley

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to diversified cultures, ethnic groups, languages and backgrounds.[152] Major cultural events include the Shandoor Polo Festival, Babusar Polo Festival and Jashn-e-Baharan or the Harvest Time Festival (Navroz).[152] Traditional dances include: Old Man Dance in which more than one person wears old-style dresses; Cow Boy Dance (Payaloo) in which a person wears old style dress, long leather shoes and holds a stick in hand and the Sword Dance in which the participants show taking one sword in right and shield in left. One to six participants can dance in pairs.

Sports

 
Polo in progress with the shandur lake in background, Shandur, Gupis-Yasin District.

Many types of sports are in currency, throughout the region, but most popular of them is Polo.[153][154] Almost every bigger valley has a polo ground, polo matches in such grounds attract locals as well as foreigners visitors during summer season. One of such polo tournament is held in Shandur each year and polo teams of Gilgit with Chitral participates.[155] Though very internationally unlikely, but even for some local historians like Hassan Hasrat from Skardu and for some national writers like Ahmed Hasan Dani it was originated in same region.[156] For testimonies, they present the Epic of King Gesar of balti version where king gesar started polo by killing his step son and hit head of cadaver with a stick thus started the game[157] they also held that the very simple rules of local polo game also testifies its primitiveness. The English word Polo has Balti origin, that is spoken in same region, dates back to the 19th century which means ball.[158][159]

Other popular sports are football, cricket, volleyball (mostly play in winters) and other minor local sports. with growing facilities and particular local geography Climbing, trekking and other similar sports are also getting popularity. Samina Baig from Hunza valley is the only Pakistani woman and the third Pakistani to climb Mount Everest and also the youngest Muslim woman to climb Everest, having done so at the age of 21 while Hassan Sadpara from Skardu valley is the first Pakistani to have climbed six eight-thousanders including the world's highest peak Everest (8848 m) besides K2 (8611 m), Gasherbrum I (8080 m), Gasherbrum II (8034 m), Nanga Parbat (8126 m), Broad Peak (8051 m).

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Indian government and Indian sources refer to Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir" ("PoK")[14] or "Pakistan-held Kashmir" ("PhK").[15] Sometimes Azad Kashmir alone is meant by these terms.[14] "Pakistan-administered Kashmir" and "Pakistan-controlled Kashmir"[16][17] are used by neutral sources. Conversely, Pakistani sources refer to the territories under Indian control as "Indian-occupied Kashmir" ("IoK") or "Indian-held Kashmir" ("IhK").[14]
  2. ^ He twice mentions a people called Dadikai, first along with the Gandarioi, and again in the catalogue of king Xerxes's army invading Greece. Herodotus also mentions the gold-digging ants of Central Asia.
  3. ^ In the 1st century, Pliny repeats that the Dards were great producers of gold.
  4. ^ Ptolemy situates the Daradrai on the upper reaches of the Indus
  5. ^ The 1941 census shows 80% Shias in the Skardu tehsil,[147] 50% Shias in the Gilgit tehsil,[148] and 32% Shias in the Astore tehsil.[149] The figures for the Gilgit Agency territories were not available, but it was stated that "a large proportion of the Muslims of the Gilgit Agency belong to the Shia Sect."[150]

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External links

  • Official Website of Ministry of Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan
  • Azar, Amjad Hussain. . Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  • Gilgit-Baltistan at Curlie

January 20, 2023
gilgit, baltistan, northern, areas, redirects, here, wider, geographical, region, pakistan, northern, pakistan, location, south, australia, northern, areas, council, ɔː, ɑː, urdu, لگ, لت, تان, formerly, known, northern, areas, region, administered, pakistan, a. Northern Areas redirects here For the wider geographical region in Pakistan see Northern Pakistan For the location in South Australia see Northern Areas Council Gilgit Baltistan ˌ ɡ ɪ l ɡ ɪ t ˌ b ɔː l t ɪ ˈ s t ɑː n s t ae n Urdu گ لگ ت ب لت س تان 11 formerly known as the Northern Areas 12 is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China from somewhat later 13 It borders Azad Kashmir to the south the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north the Xinjiang region of China to the east and northeast and the Indian administered union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast Gilgit Baltistan گ لگ ت ب لت ستانRegion administered by Pakistan as an administrative territoryTop Attabad LakeBottom K2A map of the disputed Kashmir region with the two Pakistani administered areas shown together in greenCoordinates 35 21 N 75 54 E 35 35 N 75 9 E 35 35 75 9 Coordinates 35 21 N 75 54 E 35 35 N 75 9 E 35 35 75 9Administering countryPakistanEstablished1 November 1948CapitalGilgitLargest citySkardu 2 Government 5 TypeAdministrative territory BodyGovernment of Gilgit Baltistan GovernorSyed Mehdi Shah Chief MinisterKhalid Khurshid Chief SecretaryMuhammad Khuram Aga 3 LegislatureGilgit Baltistan Assembly High CourtSupreme Appellate Court Gilgit Baltistan 4 Area Total72 496 km2 27 991 sq mi 6 Population 2017 Total1 492 924 1 Time zoneUTC 05 00 PKT ISO 3166 codePK GBLanguagesBalti Shina Wakhi Burushaski Khowar Domaki Purgi Changthang Brokskat Ladakhi Urdu administrative HDI 2019 0 592 7 MediumAssembly seats33 8 Divisions3Districts14 9 Tehsils31 10 Union Councils113Websitegilgitbaltistan wbr gov wbr pkThe region together with Azad Kashmir in the southwest is grouped and referred to by the United Nations and other international organisations as Pakistan administered Kashmir note 1 Gilgit Baltistan is six times larger than Azad Kashmir in terms of geographical area 18 The territory of present day Gilgit Baltistan became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name Northern Areas It was formed by the amalgamation of the former Gilgit Agency the Baltistan district and several small former princely states the largest of which were Hunza and Nagar 19 In 2009 the region was renamed to Gilgit Baltistan and granted limited autonomy through the Self Governance Order signed in by former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari a move that was reportedly intended to also empower the territory s people however scholars state that the real power rests with the governor and not with the chief minister or elected assembly 20 21 Much of the population of Gilgit Baltistan reportedly wants the territory to become integrated with Pakistan proper as a fifth province and opposes integration with the rest of the Kashmir region 22 23 The Pakistani government had rejected calls from the territory for provincial status on the grounds that granting such a request would jeopardise Pakistan s demands for the entire Kashmir conflict to be resolved according to all related United Nations resolutions 24 However in November 2020 Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan announced that Gilgit Baltistan would attain provisional provincial status after the 2020 Gilgit Baltistan Assembly election 25 26 27 Gilgit Baltistan covers an area of over 72 971 km2 28 174 sq mi 6 and is highly mountainous It had an estimated population of 1 249 million people in 2013 28 29 estimated to be 1 8 million in 2015 Shahid Javed Burki 2015 Its capital city is Gilgit est population 216 760 The region is home to five of the 14 eight thousanders including K2 and additionally has more than fifty mountain peaks above 7 000 metres 23 000 ft Three of the world s longest glaciers outside of Earth s polar regions are found in Gilgit Baltistan The main tourism activities are trekking and mountaineering and this industry has been growing in importance throughout the region Contents 1 Early history 2 Medieval history 3 Modern history 3 1 Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir 3 2 First Kashmir War 3 3 Inside Pakistan 3 4 Northern Areas 3 5 Present structure 4 Government 4 1 Regions 5 Security 6 Geography and climate 6 1 Rock art and petroglyphs 6 2 Climate 6 3 Climate Change Effects 7 Economy and resources 7 1 Mountaineering 7 2 Basic facilities 8 Tourism 9 Transport 10 Demographics 10 1 Population 10 2 Languages 10 3 Religion 11 Culture 11 1 Sports 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 Bibliography 16 External linksEarly historyMain article History of Gilgit Baltistan Photograph of Kargah Buddha in Gilgit The ancient Stupa rock carvings of Buddha everywhere in the region point to the firm hold of Buddhism for such a long time 30 The rock carvings found in various places in Gilgit Baltistan especially in the Passu village of Hunza suggest a human presence since 2000 BC 31 Within the next few centuries of human settlement on the Tibetan plateau this region became inhabited by Tibetans who preceded the Balti people of Baltistan Today Baltistan bears similarity to Ladakh physically and culturally although not in religion Dards are found mainly in the western areas These people are the Shina speaking peoples of Gilgit Chilas Astore and Diamir while in Hunza and the upper regions Burushaski and Khowar speakers predominate The Dards find mention in the works of Herodotus note 2 Nearchus Megasthenes Pliny note 3 Ptolemy note 4 and the geographical lists of the Puranas 32 In the 1st century the people of these regions were followers of the Bon religion while in the 2nd century they practiced Buddhism Between 399 and 414 the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Faxian visited Gilgit Baltistan 33 In the 6th century Somana Palola greater Gilgit Chilas was ruled by an unknown king Between 627 and 645 the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang travelled through this region on his pilgrimage to India According to Chinese records from the Tang dynasty between the 600s and the 700s the region was governed by a Buddhist dynasty referred to as Bolu Chinese 勃律 pinyin bolǜ also transliterated as Palola Patola Balur 34 They are believed to have been the Patola Shahis dynasty mentioned in a Brahmi inscription 35 and devout adherents of Vajrayana Buddhism 36 At the time Little Palola Chinese 小勃律 was used to refer to Gilgit while Great Palola Chinese 大勃律 was used to refer to Baltistan However the records do not consistently disambiguate the two Map of Tibetan Empire citing the areas of Gilgit Baltistan as part of its kingdom in 780 790 CE In mid 600s Gilgit came under Chinese suzerainty after the fall of the Western Turkic Khaganate to Tang military campaigns in the region In the late 600s CE the rising Tibetan Empire wrestled control of the region from the Chinese However faced with growing influence of the Umayyad Caliphate and then the Abbasid Caliphate to the west the Tibetans were forced to ally themselves with the Islamic caliphates The region was then contested by Chinese and Tibetan forces and their respective vassal states until the mid 700s 37 Rulers of Gilgit formed an alliance with the Tang Chinese and held back the Arabs with their help 38 Between 644 and 655 Navasurendraditya nandin became king of the Palola Sahi dynasty in Gilgit 39 Numerous Sanskrit inscriptions including the Danyor Rock Inscriptions were discovered to be from his reign 40 In the late 600s and early 700s Jayamaṅgalavikramaditya nandin was king of Gilgit 39 According to Chinese court records in 717 and 719 respectively delegations of a ruler of Great Palola Baltistan named Su fu she li ji li ni Chinese 蘇弗舍利支離泥 pinyin sufushelizhilini reached the Chinese imperial court 41 42 By at least 719 720 Ladakh Mard became part of the Tibetan Empire By that time Buddhism was practised in Baltistan and Sanskrit was the written language In 720 the delegation of Surendraditya Chinese 蘇麟陀逸之 pinyin sulintuoyizhi reached the Chinese imperial court He was referred to in Chinese records as the king of Great Palola however it is unknown if Baltistan was under Gilgit rule at the time 43 The Chinese emperor also granted the ruler of Cashmere Chandrapiḍa Tchen fo lo pi li the title of King of Cashmere By 721 722 Baltistan had come under the influence of the Tibetan Empire 44 In 721 722 the Tibetan army attempted but failed to capture Gilgit or Bruzha Yasin valley By this time according to Chinese records the king of Little Palola was Mo ching mang Chinese 沒謹忙 pinyin meijǐnmang He had visited the Tang court requesting military assistance against the Tibetans 43 Between 723 and 728 the Korean Buddhist pilgrim Hyecho passed through this area In 737 738 Tibetan troops under the leadership of Minister Bel Kyesang Dongtsab of Emperor Me Agtsom took control of Little Palola By 747 the Chinese army under the leadership of the ethnic Korean commander Gao Xianzhi had recaptured Little Palola 45 Great Palola was subsequently captured by the Chinese army in 753 under military Governor Feng Changqing However by 755 due to the An Lushan rebellion the Tang Chinese forces withdrew and were no longer able to exert influence in Central Asia or in the regions around Gilgit Baltistan 46 The control of the region was left to the Tibetan Empire They referred to the region as Bruzha a toponym that is consistent with the ethnonym Burusho used today Tibetan control of the region lasted until late 800s CE 47 Turkic tribes practising Zoroastrianism arrived in Gilgit during the 7th century and founded the Trakhan dynasty in Gilgit 38 Medieval historyIn the 14th century Sufi Muslim preachers from Persia and Central Asia introduced Islam in Baltistan Famous amongst them was Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani who came through Kashmir 48 while in the Gilgit region Islam entered in the same century through Turkic Tarkhan rulers Gilgit Baltistan was ruled by many local rulers amongst whom the Maqpon dynasty of Skardu and the Rajas of Hunza were famous The Maqpons of Skardu unified Gilgit Baltistan with Chitral and Ladakh especially in the era of Ali Sher Khan Anchan 49 who had friendly relations with the Mughal court 50 Anchan s reign brought prosperity and entertained art sport and variety in architecture He introduced polo to the Gilgit region and sent a group of musicians from Chitral to Delhi to learn Indian music Mughal architecture influenced the architecture of the region as well under his reign 51 Later Anchan in his successors Abdal Khan had great influence though in the popular literature of Baltistan where he is still alive as a dark figure by the nickname Mizos man eater The last Maqpon Raja Ahmed Shah ruled all of Baltistan between 1811 and 1840 The areas of Gilgit Chitral and Hunza had already become independent of the Maqpons citation needed Before the demise of Shribadat a group of Shina people migrated from Gilgit Dardistan and settled in the Dras and Kharmang areas The descendants of those Dardic people can be still found today and are believed to have maintained their Dardic culture and Shina language up to the present time citation needed Modern historyPrincely State of Jammu and Kashmir The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir National Geographic 1946 Shown are the Gilgit Agency consisting of subsidiary states of Jammu and Kashmir and the Gilgit wazarat including the Gilgit Leased Area shown in white Baltistan was part of the large area of the Ladakh Baltistan wazarat in the east The neutrality of this section is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met December 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The last Maqpon Raja Ahmed Shah died in prison in Lhasa 52 c 1845 In November 1839 Dogra commander Zorawar Singh whose allegiance was to Gulab Singh started his campaign against Baltistan 53 By 1840 he conquered Skardu and captured its ruler Ahmad Shah Ahmad Shah was then forced to accompany Zorawar Singh on his raid into Western Tibet Meanwhile Baghwan Singh was appointed as administrator thanadar in Skardu But in the following year Ali Khan of Rondu Haidar Khan of Shigar and Daulat Ali Khan from Khaplu led a successful uprising against the Dogras in Baltistan and captured the Dogra commander Baghwan Singh in Skardu 54 In 1842 Dogra Commander Wasir Lakhpat with the active support of Ali Sher Khan III from Kartaksho conquered Baltistan for the second time There was a violent capture of the fortress of Kharphocho Haidar Khan from Shigar one of the leaders of the uprising against the Dogras 55 was imprisoned and died in captivity Gosaun was appointed as administrator Thanadar of Baltistan and till 1860 the entire region of Gilgit Baltistan was under the Sikhs and then the Dogras 56 57 After the defeat of the Sikhs in the First Anglo Sikh War the region became a part of the Jammu and Kashmir princely state which since 1846 had remained under the rule of the Dogras The population in Gilgit perceived itself as ethnically different from Kashmiris and disliked being ruled by the Kashmir state 58 The region remained with the princely state with temporary leases of some areas assigned to the British until 1 November 1947 First Kashmir War After Pakistan s independence Jammu and Kashmir initially remained an independent state Later on 22 October 1947 tribal militias backed by Pakistan crossed the border into Jammu and Kashmir after Poonch rebellion and Jammu Muslim massacre 59 60 Hari Singh made a plea to India for assistance and signed the Instrument of Accession making his state a part of India India air lifted troops to defend the Kashmir Valley and the invaders were pushed back behind Uri Gilgit s population did not favour the State s accession to India 61 The Muslims of the frontier ilaqas Gilgit and the adjoining hill states had wanted to join Pakistan 62 Sensing their discontent Major William Brown the Maharaja s commander of the Gilgit Scouts mutinied on 1 November 1947 overthrowing the governor Ghansara Singh The bloodless coup d etat was planned by Brown to the last detail under the code name Datta Khel which was also joined by a rebellious section of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces under Mirza Hassan Khan Brown ensured that the treasury was secured and minorities were protected A provisional government Aburi Hakoomat was established by the Gilgit locals with Raja Shah Rais Khan as the president and Mirza Hassan Khan as the commander in chief However Major Brown had already telegraphed Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan asking Pakistan to take over Pakistan s political agent Khan Mohammad Alam Khan arrived on 16 November and took over the administration of Gilgit 63 64 Brown outmaneuvered the pro Independence group and secured the approval of the mirs and rajas for accession to Pakistan 65 According to Brown Alam replied to the locals you are a crowd of fools led astray by a madman I shall not tolerate this nonsense for one instance And when the Indian Army starts invading you there will be no use screaming to Pakistan for help because you won t get it The provisional government faded away after this encounter with Alam Khan clearly reflecting the flimsy and opportunistic nature of its basis and support 66 The provisional government lasted 16 days According to scholar Yaqub Khan Bangash it lacked sway over the population The Gilgit rebellion did not have civilian involvement and was solely the work of military leaders not all of whom had been in favour of joining Pakistan at least in the short term Historian Ahmed Hasan Dani says that although there had been a lack of public participation in the rebellion pro Pakistan sentiments were intense in the civilian population and their anti Kashmiri sentiments were also clear 67 According to various scholars the people of Gilgit as well as those of Chilas Koh Ghizr Ishkoman Yasin Punial Hunza and Nagar joined Pakistan by choice 68 69 70 71 72 After taking control of Gilgit the Gilgit Scouts along with Azad irregulars moved towards Baltistan and Ladakh and captured Skardu by May 1948 They successfully blocked Indian reinforcements sent to relieve Skardu and proceeded towards Kargil and Leh Indian forces mounted an offensive in the autumn of 1948 to push them back from Ladakh but Baltistan came into the rebels territory 73 74 On 1 January 1948 India took the issue of Jammu and Kashmir to the United Nations Security Council In April 1948 the Council passed a resolution calling for Pakistan to withdraw from all of Jammu and Kashmir and for India to reduce its forces to the minimum level following which a plebiscite would be held to ascertain the people s wishes 75 However no withdrawal was ever carried out India insisted that Pakistan had to withdraw first and Pakistan contended there was no guarantee that India would withdraw afterwards 76 Gilgit Baltistan along with the western districts that came to be called Azad Kashmir have remained under the control of Pakistan ever since 77 Inside Pakistan While the residents of Gilgit Baltistan expressed a desire to join Pakistan after gaining independence from Maharaja Hari Singh Pakistan declined to merge the region into itself because of the territory s link to Jammu and Kashmir 71 For a short period after joining Pakistan Gilgit Baltistan was governed by Azad Kashmir if only theoretically but not practically through its claim of being an alternative government for Jammu and Kashmir 78 In 1949 the Government of Azad Kashmir handed over the administration of Gilgit Baltistan to the federal government under the Karachi Agreement According to Indian journalist Paul Sahni this is seen as an effort by Pakistan to legitimise its rule over Gilgit Baltistan 79 According to Pakistani analyst Ershad Mahmud there were two reasons why administration was transferred from Azad Kashmir to Pakistan the region was inaccessible from Azad Kashmir and because both the governments of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan knew that the people of the region were in favour of joining Pakistan in a potential referendum over Kashmir s final status 71 According to the International Crisis Group the Karachi Agreement is highly unpopular in Gilgit Baltistan because Gilgit Baltistan was not a party to it even while it was its own fate was being decided 80 From then until the 1990s Gilgit Baltistan was governed through the colonial era Frontier Crimes Regulations which were originally created for the northwest tribal regions They treated tribal people as barbaric and uncivilised levying collective fines and punishments 81 82 People had no right to legal representation or appeal 83 82 Members of tribes had to obtain prior permission from the police to travel anywhere and had to keep the police informed about their movements 84 85 There was no democratic set up during this period All political and judicial powers remained in the hands of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas KANA The people of Gilgit Baltistan were deprived of rights enjoyed by citizens of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir 86 A primary reason for this state of affairs was the remoteness of Gilgit Baltistan Another factor was that the whole of Pakistan itself was deficient in democratic norms and principles therefore the federal government did not prioritise democratic development in the region There was also a lack of public pressure as an active civil society was absent in the region with young educated residents usually opting to live in Pakistan s urban centers instead of staying in the region 86 Northern Areas In 1970 the two parts of the territory viz the Gilgit Agency and Baltistan were merged into a single administrative unit and given the name Northern Areas 87 failed verification The Shaksgam tract was ceded by Pakistan to China following the signing of the Sino Pakistani Frontier Agreement in 1963 88 89 In 1969 a Northern Areas Advisory Council NAAC was created later renamed to Northern Areas Council NAC in 1974 and Northern Areas Legislative Council NALC in 1994 But it was devoid of legislative powers All law making was concentrated in the KANA Ministry of Pakistan In 1994 a Legal Framework Order LFO was created by the KANA Ministry to serve as the de facto constitution for the region 90 91 In 1974 the former State Subject law was abolished in Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistanis from other areas could buy land and settle 92 In 1984 the territory s importance shot up within Pakistan with the opening of the Karakoram Highway and the region s population became more connected to mainland Pakistan The improved connectivity facilitated the local population to avail itself of educational opportunities in the rest of Pakistan 93 Italso allowed the political parties of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir to set up local branches raise political awareness in the region According to Ershad Mahmud these Pakistani political parties have played a laudable role in organising a movement for democratic rights among the residents of Gilgit Baltistan 86 In the 1988 Gilgit Massacre groups of Islamist Sunnis supported by Osama bin Laden Pervez Musharraf General Zia ul Haq and Mirza Aslam Beg slaughtered hundreds of local Shias 94 Present structure In the late 1990s the President of Al Jihad Trust filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to determine the legal status of Gilgit Baltistan In its judgement of 28 May 1999 the Court directed the Government of Pakistan to ensure the provision of equal rights to the people of Gilgit Baltistan and gave it six months to do so Following the Supreme Court decision the government took several steps to devolve power to the local level However in several policy circles the point was raised that the Pakistani government was helpless to comply with the court verdict because of the strong political and sectarian divisions in Gilgit Baltistan and also because of the territory s historical connection with the still disputed Kashmir region and that this prevented the determination of Gilgit Baltistan s real status 95 A position of Deputy Chief Executive was created to act as the local administrator but the real powers still rested with the Chief Executive who was the Federal Minister of KANA The secretaries were more powerful than the concerned advisors in the words of one commentator In spite of various reforms packages over the years the situation is essentially unchanged 96 Meanwhile public rage in Gilgit Baltistan grew alarmingly Prominent antagonist groups have mushroomed protesting the absence of civic rights and democracy 97 The Pakistani government has debated granting provincial status to Gilgit Baltistan 98 Gilgit Baltistan has been a member state of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization since 2008 99 According to Antia Mato Bouzas the PPP led Pakistani government has attempted a compromise through its 2009 reforms between its traditional stand on the Kashmir dispute and the demands of locals most of whom may have pro Pakistan sentiments While the 2009 reforms have added to the self identification of the region they have not resolved the constitutional status of the region within Pakistan 100 According to 2010 news reports the people of Gilgit Baltistan want to merge into Pakistan as a separate fifth province 22 23 However as of 2015 leaders of Azad Kashmir were opposed to any step towards integrating Gilgit Baltistan into Pakistan 101 The people of Gilgit Baltistan have opposed integration with Azad Kashmir They desire Pakistani citizenship and a constitutional status for their region 22 23 In 2016 for the first time in the country s Constitution Gilgit Baltistan had been mentioned by name 102 In September 2020 it was reported that Pakistan decided to elevate Gilgit Baltistan s status to that of a full fledged province 103 104 GovernmentMain article Government of Gilgit Baltistan Gilgit Baltisan assembly located in Jutial Gilgit The territory of present day Gilgit Baltistan became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name Northern Areas It was formed by the amalgamation of the former Gilgit Agency the Baltistan District of the Ladakh Wazarat and the hill states of Hunza and Nagar It presently consists of fourteen districts 9 105 has a population approaching one million and an area of approximately 73 000 square kilometres 28 000 square miles and shares borders with Pakistan China Afghanistan and India In 1993 an attempt was made by the High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to annex Gilgit Baltistan but was quashed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after protests by the locals of Gilgit Baltistan who feared domination by the Kashmiris 24 Government of Pakistan abolished State Subject Rule in Gilgit Baltistan in 1974 which resulted in demographic changes in the territory 106 107 While administratively controlled by Pakistan since the First Kashmir War Gilgit Baltistan has never been formally integrated into the Pakistani state and does not participate in Pakistan s constitutional political affairs 108 109 On 29 August 2009 the Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order 2009 was passed by the Pakistani cabinet and later signed by the then President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari 110 The order granted self rule to the people of Gilgit Baltistan by creating among other things an elected Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly and Gilgit Baltistan Council Gilgit Baltistan thus gained a de facto province like status without constitutionally becoming part of Pakistan 108 111 Currently Gilgit Baltistan is neither a province nor a state It has a semi provincial status 112 Officially the Pakistan government had rejected Gilgit Baltistani calls for integration with Pakistan on the grounds that it would jeopardise its demands for the whole Kashmir issue to be resolved according to UN resolutions 24 Some Kashmiri nationalist groups such as the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front claim Gilgit Baltistan as part of a future independent state to match what existed in 1947 24 India on the other hand maintains that Gilgit Baltistan is a part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that is an integral part of the country India 113 The Gilgit Baltistan Police GBP is responsible for law enforcement in Gilgit Baltistan The mission of the force is the prevention and detection of crime maintenance of law and order and enforcement of the Constitution of Pakistan Regions Gilgit Baltistan is administered as three divisions Fourteen districts in 2019 Gilgit Baltistan is administratively divided into three divisions Baltistan Diamer and Gilgit 114 which in turn are divided into fourteen districts The principal administrative centers are the towns of Gilgit and Skardu Division District Area km2 Capital Population 2013 115 Divisional CapitalBaltistan Ghanche 4 052 Khaplu 108 000 SkarduShigar 8 500 Shigar Kharmang 5 500 Kharmang Skardu 8 700 Skardu 305 000 Roundu NA Dambudas NAGilgit Gilgit 14 672 Gilgit 222 000 GilgitGhizer 9 635 Gahkuch 190 000Hunza 7 900 Aliabad 70 000 2015 116 Nagar 5 000 Nagar 51 387 1998 115 Gupis Yasin NA Phander NADiamer Diamer 10 936 Chilas 214 000 ChilasAstore 5 092 Eidghah 114 000Darel NA Darel NATangir NA Tangir NA Combined population of Skardu Shigar Kharmang and Roundu districts Shigar and Kharmang Districts were carved out of Skardu District after 1998 The estimated population of Gilgit Baltistan was about 1 8 million in 2015 19 and the overall population growth rate between 1998 and 2011 was 63 1 making it 4 85 annually 117 118 SecuritySecurity in Gilgit Baltistan is provided by the Gilgit Baltistan Police the Gilgit Baltistan Scouts a paramilitary force and the Northern Light Infantry part of the Pakistani Army Geography and climateMain article Geography of Gilgit Baltistan Naltar Lakes Naltar Lake or Bashkiri Lake I Naltar Lake or Bashkiri Lake II Azure coloured water of Naltar Lake IIISurface elevation 3050 3150 m citation needed Gilgit Baltistan borders Pakistan s Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west a small portion of the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north China s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to the northeast the Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast and the Pakistani administered state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the south Gilgit Baltistan is home to all five of Pakistan s eight thousanders and to more than fifty peaks above 7 000 metres 23 000 ft Gilgit and Skardu are the two main hubs for expeditions to those mountains The region is home to some of the world s highest mountain ranges The main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas The Pamir Mountains are to the north and the Hindu Kush lies to the west Amongst the highest mountains are K2 Mount Godwin Austen and Nanga Parbat the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world Three of the world s longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in Gilgit Baltistan the Biafo Glacier the Baltoro Glacier and the Batura Glacier There are in addition several high altitude lakes in Gilgit Baltistan Sheosar Lake in the Deosai Plains Skardu Naltar lakes in the Naltar Valley Gilgit Satpara Tso Lake in Skardu Baltistan Katzura Tso Lake in Skardu Baltistan Zharba Tso Lake in Shigar Baltistan Phoroq Tso Lake in Skardu Baltistan Lake Kharfak in Gangche Baltistan Byarsa Tso Lake in Gultari Astore Borith Lake in Gojal upper Hunza Gilgit Rama Lake near Astore Rush Lake near Nagar Gilgit Kromber Lake at Kromber Pass Ishkoman Valley Ghizer District Barodaroksh Lake in Bar Valley Nagar Ghorashi Lake in Ghandus Valley KharmangThe Deosai Plains are located above the tree line and constitute the second highest plateau in the world after Tibet at 4 115 metres 13 501 ft The plateau lies east of Astore south of Skardu and west of Ladakh The area was declared as a national park in 1993 The Deosai Plains cover an area of almost 5 000 square kilometres 1 900 sq mi For over half the year between September and May Deosai is snow bound and cut off from rest of Astore and Baltistan in winters The village of Deosai lies close to Chilum chokki and is connected with the Kargil district of Ladakh through an all weather road Satpara Lake Skardu in 2002 Upper Kachura Lake Shangrila Lake Skardu Manthokha WaterfallRock art and petroglyphs There are more than 50 000 pieces of rock art petroglyphs and inscriptions all along the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit Baltistan concentrated at ten major sites between Hunza and Shatial The carvings were left by invaders traders and pilgrims who passed along the trade route as well as by locals The earliest date back to between 5000 and 1000 BCE showing single animals triangular men and hunting scenes in which the animals are larger than the hunters These carvings were pecked into the rock with stone tools and are covered with a thick patina that proves their age The ethnologist Karl Jettmar de has pieced together the history of the area from inscriptions and recorded his findings in Rock Carvings and Inscriptions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan 119 and the later released Between Gandhara and the Silk Roads Rock Carvings Along the Karakoram Highway 120 Many of these carvings and inscriptions will be inundated and or destroyed when the planned Basha Diamir dam is built and the Karakoram Highway is widened Climate Mountains covered in snow as seen from the Raja Bazar Road Gilgit The climate of Gilgit Baltistan varies from region to region since the surrounding mountain ranges create sharp variations in weather The eastern part has the moist zone of the western Himalayas but going toward Karakoram and Hindu Kush the climate gets considerably drier 121 There are towns like Gilgit and Chilas that are very hot during the day in summer yet cold at night and valleys like Astore Khaplu Yasin Hunza and Nagar where the temperatures are cold even in summer 122 Climate Change Effects Main article 2022 Gilgit Baltistan floods Climate change has adversely effected this region with more rains every year On 26 August 2022 most villages in Ghizer district and Hunza were severely effected by the ongoing flooding displacing many people Economy and resources Montage of Gilgit Baltistan See also Education in Gilgit Baltistan The economy of the region is primarily based on a traditional trade route the historic Silk Road The China Trade Organization forum led the people of the area to actively invest and learn modern trade know how from their Chinese neighbour Xinjiang citation needed Later the establishment of a chamber of commerce and the Sust dry port in Gojal Hunza are milestones The rest of the economy is shouldered by mainly agriculture and tourism Agricultural products are wheat corn maize barley and fruits Tourism is mostly in trekking and mountaineering and this industry is growing in importance 123 124 In early September 2009 Pakistan signed an agreement with the People s Republic of China for a major energy project in Gilgit Baltistan which includes the construction of a 7 000 megawatt dam at Bunji in the Astore District 111 Mountaineering View of Laila Peak which is located near Hushe Valley a town in Khaplu The Trango Towers offer some of the largest cliffs and most challenging rock climbing in the world and every year a number of expeditions from all corners of the globe visit Karakoram to climb the challenging granite 125 Gilgit Baltistan is home to more than 20 peaks of over 6 100 metres 20 000 ft including K 2 the second highest mountain on Earth 126 Other well known peaks include Masherbrum also known as K1 Broad Peak Hidden Peak Gasherbrum II Gasherbrum IV and Chogolisa situated in Khaplu Valley The following peaks have so far been scaled by various expeditions Name of Peak Photos Height First known ascent Location1 K 2 28 250 ft 31 July 1954 Karakoram2 Nanga Parbat 26 660 ft 3 July 1953 Himalaya3 Gasherbrum I 26 360 ft 7 July 1956 Karakoram4 Broad Peak 26 550 ft 9 June 1957 Karakoram5 Muztagh Tower 23 800 ft 6 August 1956 Karakoram6 Gasherbrum II 26 120 ft 4 July 1958 Karakoram7 Hidden Peak 26 470 ft 4 July 1957 Karakoram8 Khunyang Chhish 25 761 ft 4 July 1971 Karakoram9 Masherbrum 25 659 ft 4 August 1960 Karakoram10 Saltoro Kangri 25 400 ft 4 June 1962 Karakoram11 Chogolisa 25 148 ft 4 August 1963 KarakoramBasic facilities Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited LPG Air Mix Plant in Gilgit Gilgit has not received a gas pipeline infrastructure since Pakistan s independence unlike other cities Through the importation of gas cylinders from other provinces many private gas contractors offer gas cylinders The LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas Air Mix Plant project by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited was unveiled in 2020 with the goal of bringing the gas facility to Gilgit This will significantly reduce deforestation as public uses wood from trees for heating and lighting purpose The first head office has been built in Gilgit City 127 TourismMain article Tourism in Gilgit Baltistan Cold Desert Skardu is the world s highest desert Rush Lake Nagar Pakistan Sheosar Lake is in the western part of Deosai National Park Gilgit Baltistan is the capital of tourism in Pakistan Gilgit Baltistan is home to some of the highest peaks in the world including K2 the second highest peak in the world Gilgit Baltistan s landscape includes mountains lakes glaciers and valleys Gilgit Baltistan is not only known for its mountains it is also visited for its landmarks culture history and people 128 K2 Basecamp Deosai Naltar Fairy Meadows Bagrot Valley and Hushe valley are common places to visit in Gilgit Baltistan 129 TransportMain article Provincial Highways of Gilgit Baltistan The Karakoram Highway National Highway N 15 has abrupt direction changes which is a challenge for drivers who use this route to reach Gilgit Before 1978 Gilgit Baltistan was cut off from the rest of the Pakistan and the world due to the harsh terrain and the lack of accessible roads All of the roads to the south opened toward the Pakistan administered state of Azad Kashmir and to the southeast toward the present day Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir During the summer people could walk across the mountain passes to travel to Rawalpindi The fastest way to travel was by air but air travel was accessible only to a few privileged local people and to Pakistani military and civilian officials Then with the assistance of the Chinese government Pakistan began construction of the Karakoram Highway KKH which was completed in 1978 The journey from Rawalpindi Islamabad to Gilgit takes approximately 20 to 24 hours The Karakoram Highway connects Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu which are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in Gilgit Baltistan Northern Areas Transport Corporation NATCO offers bus and jeep transport service to the two hubs and several other popular destinations lakes and glaciers in the area Landslides on the Karakoram Highway are very common The Karakoram Highway connects Gilgit to Tashkurgan Town Kashgar China via Sust the customs and health inspection post on the Gilgit Baltistan side and the Khunjerab Pass the highest paved international border crossing in the world at 4 693 metres 15 397 ft In March 2006 the respective governments announced that commencing on 1 June 2006 a thrice weekly bus service would begin across the boundary from Gilgit to Kashgar and road widening work would begin at 600 kilometres 370 mi of the Karakoram Highway There would also be one daily bus in each direction between the Sust and Taxkorgan border areas of the two political entities 130 ATR 42 500 on Gilgit Airport Picture taken on 10 July 2016 Pakistan International Airlines used to fly a Fokker F27 Friendship daily between Gilgit Airport and Benazir Bhutto International Airport The flying time was approximately 50 minutes and the flight was one of the most scenic in the world as its route passed over Nanga Parbat a mountain whose peak is higher than the aircraft s cruising altitude However the Fokker F27 was retired after a crash at Multan in 2006 Currently flights are being operated by PIA to Gilgit on the brand new ATR 42 500 which was purchased in 2006 With the new plane the cancellation of flights is much less frequent Pakistan International Airlines also offers regular flights of a Boeing 737 between Skardu and Islamabad All flights are subject to weather clearance in winter flights are often delayed by several days A railway through the region has been proposed see Khunjerab Railway for details DemographicsPopulation The population of Gilgit Baltistan is 1 492 924 as of 2017 1 The estimated population of Gilgit Baltistan in 2013 was 1 249 million 28 29 and it was 873 000 in 1998 131 Approximately 14 of the population was urban 132 The fertility rate is 4 7 children per woman which is the highest in Pakistan 133 The population of Gilgit Baltistan consists of many diverse linguistic ethnic and religious sects due in part to the many isolated valleys separated by some of the world s highest mountains The ethnic groups include Shins Yashkuns Kashmiris Kashgaris Pamiris Pathans and Kohistanis 134 A significant number of people from Gilgit Baltistan are residing in other parts of Pakistan mainly in Punjab and Karachi The literacy rate of Gilgit Baltistan is approximately 72 In 2017 census Gilgit District has the highest population of 330 000 and Hunza District the lowest of 50 000 131 Languages Gilgit Baltistan is a multilingual region where Urdu being a national and official language serves as the lingua franca for inter ethnic communications English is co official and also used in education while Arabic is used for religious purposes The table below shows a break up of Gilgit Baltistan first language speakers Rank Language Detail 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 1 Shina It is a Dardic language spoken by the majority in six tehsils Gilgit Diamir Chilas Darel Tangir Astore Puniyal Gahkuch and Rondu 2 Balti It is spoken by the majority in five tehsils Skardu Shigar Kharmang Gultari Khaplu and Mashabrum It is from the Tibetan language family and has Urdu borrowings 3 Burushaski It is spoken by the majority in four tehsils Nagar 1 Hunza Aliabad Nagar II and Yasin It is a language isolate that has borrowed considerable Urdu vocabulary 4 Khowar It is spoken by the majority in two tehsils Gupis and Ishkomen but also spoken in Yasin and Puniyal Gahkuch Tehsils Like Shina it is a Dardic language 5 Wakhi It is spoken by the majority of people in Gojal Tehsil of Hunza But it is also spoken in the Yasin and Ishkomen tehsils of Gupis Yasin and Ghizer districts It is classified as eastern Iranian Pamiri language Others Pashto Kashmiri Domaaki spoken by musician clans in the region and Gojri languages are also spoken by a significant population of the region Religion A pie chart showing the Sectarian divide of Gilgit Baltistan Sectarian divide of Gilgit Baltistan 143 Sects PercentShia 39 85 Sunni 30 05 Ismaili 24 Noorbakhshis 6 1 The population of Gilgit Baltistan is entirely Muslim and is denominationally the most diverse in the country The region is also the only Shia plurality area in an otherwise Sunni dominant Pakistan 144 People in the Skardu district are mostly Shia while Diamir and Astore districts have Sunni majorities Ghanche has a Noorbakhshi population and Ghizar has an Ismaili majority 145 The populations in Gilgit Hunza and Nagar districts are composed of a mix of all of these sects 143 According to Indian government official B Raman the Shias and Ismailis constituted about 85 of the population in 1948 146 note 5 Raman claims the proportion was brought down by General Zia ul Haq through a conscious policy of demographic change by encouraging the migration of Sunnis from other provinces and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in an effort to counter the growing sectarian consciousness of the Shias after the Iranian Revolution in 1979 146 Recent surveys show that Shia Ismaili women both rural and urban have high rates of contraceptives usage and low fertility rates by contrast Sunni women especially in rural areas have low rates of contraceptive usage and high fertility rates 151 CultureMain article Culture of Gilgit Baltistan Architecture Baltit fort Hunza Khaplu Palace Chaqchan Mosque Khaplu Mostly the architecture have been influenced by Tibetan Architecture as the above images are testimonials of it 30 Dance of Swati Guests with traditional music at Baltit Fort in 2014 Wakhi musicians in Gulmit One of the poplular dish of this region is Chapchor It is widely made in Nagar Valley and Hunza Valley Gilgit Baltistan is home to diversified cultures ethnic groups languages and backgrounds 152 Major cultural events include the Shandoor Polo Festival Babusar Polo Festival and Jashn e Baharan or the Harvest Time Festival Navroz 152 Traditional dances include Old Man Dance in which more than one person wears old style dresses Cow Boy Dance Payaloo in which a person wears old style dress long leather shoes and holds a stick in hand and the Sword Dance in which the participants show taking one sword in right and shield in left One to six participants can dance in pairs Sports Polo in progress with the shandur lake in background Shandur Gupis Yasin District Many types of sports are in currency throughout the region but most popular of them is Polo 153 154 Almost every bigger valley has a polo ground polo matches in such grounds attract locals as well as foreigners visitors during summer season One of such polo tournament is held in Shandur each year and polo teams of Gilgit with Chitral participates 155 Though very internationally unlikely but even for some local historians like Hassan Hasrat from Skardu and for some national writers like Ahmed Hasan Dani it was originated in same region 156 For testimonies they present the Epic of King Gesar of balti version where king gesar started polo by killing his step son and hit head of cadaver with a stick thus started the game 157 they also held that the very simple rules of local polo game also testifies its primitiveness The English word Polo has Balti origin that is spoken in same region dates back to the 19th century which means ball 158 159 Other popular sports are football cricket volleyball mostly play in winters and other minor local sports with growing facilities and particular local geography Climbing trekking and other similar sports are also getting popularity Samina Baig from Hunza valley is the only Pakistani woman and the third Pakistani to climb Mount Everest and also the youngest Muslim woman to climb Everest having done so at the age of 21 while Hassan Sadpara from Skardu valley is the first Pakistani to have climbed six eight thousanders including the world s highest peak Everest 8848 m besides K2 8611 m Gasherbrum I 8080 m Gasherbrum II 8034 m Nanga Parbat 8126 m Broad Peak 8051 m See also Geography portal Asia portal Pakistan portalNorthern Pakistan Balti language Balti people List of cities in Gilgit Baltistan List of cultural heritage sites in Gilgit Baltistan List of mountains in PakistanNotes The Indian government and Indian sources refer to Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan as Pakistan occupied Kashmir PoK 14 or Pakistan held Kashmir PhK 15 Sometimes Azad Kashmir alone is meant by these terms 14 Pakistan administered Kashmir and Pakistan controlled Kashmir 16 17 are used by neutral sources Conversely Pakistani sources refer to the territories under Indian control as Indian occupied Kashmir IoK or Indian held Kashmir IhK 14 He twice mentions a people called Dadikai first along with the Gandarioi and again in the catalogue of king Xerxes s army invading Greece Herodotus also mentions the gold digging ants of Central Asia In the 1st century Pliny repeats that the Dards were great producers of gold Ptolemy situates the Daradrai on the upper reaches of the Indus The 1941 census shows 80 Shias in the Skardu tehsil 147 50 Shias in the Gilgit tehsil 148 and 32 Shias in the Astore tehsil 149 The figures for the Gilgit Agency territories were not available but it was stated that a large proportion of the Muslims of the Gilgit Agency belong to the Shia Sect 150 References a b Gilgit Baltistan City Population Retrieved 12 May 2022 Skardu Skardu Retrieved 16 July 2015 Khuram Aga posted chief secretary GB TheNation 18 November 2018 Retrieved 12 March 2020 Supreme Appellate Court GB sacgb gov pk Sokefeld Martin 2015 At the margins of Pakistan Political relationships between Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Ravi Kalia ed Pakistan s Political Labyrinths Military Society and Terror Routledge p 177 ISBN 978 1 317 40544 3 While AJK formally possesses most of the government institutions of a state GB now formally has the institutions of a Pakistani province However AJK remains a quasi state and GB a quasi province because neither territory enjoys the full rights and powers connected with the respective political formations In both areas Pakistan retains ultimate control a b UNPO Gilgit Baltistan Impact Of Climate Change On Biodiversity unpo org Retrieved 20 June 2016 Sub national HDI Area Database Global Data Lab hdi globaldatalab org Retrieved 15 March 2020 Legislative Assembly will have directly elected 24 members besides six women and three technocrats Gilgit Baltistan New Pakistani Package or Governor Rule 3 September 2009 The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization UNPO a b GB notifies four more districts total number of districts now 14 Pakistan Today 17 June 2019 Gilgit Baltistan at a Glance 2020 PDF PND GB Archived PDF from the original on 3 August 2021 گلگت بلتستان اسمبلی کادوسرا اجلاس Gilgit Baltistan Assembly in Urdu 19 December 2020 Retrieved 16 February 2021 Hinman Bonnie 15 September 2011 We Visit Pakistan Mitchell Lane Publishers Inc p 41 ISBN 978 1 61228 103 2 The application of the term administered to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources a through d reflecting due weight in the coverage Although controlled and held are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them as evidenced in sources e through g below held is also considered politicized usage as is the term occupied see h below a Kashmir region Indian subcontinent Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 15 August 2019 subscription required Quote Kashmir region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas Azad Kashmir Gilgit and Baltistan the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories b Pletcher Kenneth Aksai Chin Plateau Region Asia Encyclopaedia Britannica retrieved 16 August 2019 subscription required Quote Aksai Chin Chinese Pinyin Aksayqin portion of the Kashmir region at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south central Asia It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state c Kashmir Encyclopedia Americana Scholastic Library Publishing 2006 p 328 ISBN 978 0 7172 0139 6 C E Bosworth University of Manchester Quote KASHMIR kash mer the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent administered partlv by India partly by Pakistan and partly by China The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947 d Talbot Ian 2016 A History of Modern South Asia Politics States Diasporas Yale University Press pp 28 29 ISBN 978 0 300 19694 8 Quote We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir e Kashmir region Indian subcontinent Encyclopaedia Britannica retrieved 15 August 2019 subscription required Quote China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh the easternmost portion of the region since 1962 f Bose Sumantra 2009 Kashmir Roots of Conflict Paths to Peace Harvard University Press pp 294 291 293 ISBN 978 0 674 02855 5 Quote J amp K Jammu and Kashmir The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute Besides IJK Indian controlled Jammu and Kashmir The larger and more populous part of the former princely state It has a population of slightly over 10 million and comprises three regions Kashmir Valley Jammu and Ladakh and AJK Azad Free Jammu and Kashmir The more populous part of Pakistani controlled J amp K with a population of approximately 2 5 million AJK has six districts Muzaffarabad Mirpur Bagh Kodi Rawalakot and Poonch Its capital is the town of Muzaffarabad AJK has its own institutions but its political life is heavily controlled by Pakistani authorities especially the military it includes the sparsely populated Northern Areas of Gilgit and Baltistan remote mountainous regions which are directly administered unlike AJK by the Pakistani central authorities and some high altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control g Fisher Michael H 2018 An Environmental History of India From Earliest Times to the Twenty First Century Cambridge University Press p 166 ISBN 978 1 107 11162 2 Quote Kashmir s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN supervised Line of Control still separating Pakistani held Azad Free Kashmir from Indian held Kashmir h Snedden Christopher 2015 Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris Oxford University Press p 10 ISBN 978 1 84904 621 3 Quote Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J amp K These terms include the words occupied and held a b c Snedden 2013 pp 2 3 Chandra Bipan Mukherjee Aditya Mukherje Mridula 2008 India since Independence Penguin Books India p 416 ISBN 978 0143104094 Bose Sumantra 2009 Contested lands Israel Palestine Kashmir Bosnia Cyprus and Sri Lanka Harvard University Press p 193 ISBN 978 0674028562 Behera 2007 p 66 Dutta Prabhash K 25 March 2017 Gilgit Baltistan Story of how region 6 times the size of PoK passed on to Pakistan India Today a b Shahid Javed Burki 2015 In Pakistan controlled Kashmir residents see experiment with autonomy as illusion Christian Science Monitor 28 November 2011 Sering Senge H 2010 Constitutional Impasse in Gilgit Baltistan Jammu and Kashmir The Fallout Strategic Analysis 34 3 354 358 doi 10 1080 09700161003658998 S2CID 154847994 Instead of the chief minister the order rests all administrative political and judicial authority with the governor which makes him the supreme authority and portrays the assembly as a toothless tiger At best the order legitimises Pakistan s occupation and claims political rights for the locals without changing the power equation a b c Singh Pallavi 29 April 2010 Gilgit Baltistan A question of autonomy The Indian Express Retrieved 27 December 2016 But it falls short of the main demand of the people of Gilgit Baltistan for a constitutional status to the region as a fifth province and for Pakistani citizenship to its people a b c Shigri Manzar 12 November 2009 Pakistan s disputed Northern Areas go to polls Reuters Retrieved 27 December 2016 Many of the 1 5 million people of Gilgit Baltistan oppose integration into Kashmir and want their area to be merged into Pakistan and declared a separate province a b c d Schofield Victoria 2000 Kashmir in Conflict India Pakistan and the Unending War I B Tauris pp 180 181 ISBN 9781860648984 Fifth province Fifth province The Express Tribune The Express Tribune 2 November 2020 Archived from the original on 9 November 2020 Retrieved 14 November 2020 Pakistani PM says he will upgrade status of part of Kashmir angering India Pakistani PM says he will upgrade status of part of Kashmir angering India Reuters Reuters 1 November 2020 Archived from the original on 2 November 2020 Retrieved 14 November 2020 Gilgit Baltistan to get provisional provincial status post election PM Imran Gilgit Baltistan to get provisional provincial status post election PM Imran The News International 2 November 2020 Retrieved 14 November 2020 a b Geography amp Demography of Gilgit Baltistan Archived 5 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine Gilgit Baltistan Scouts retrieved 30 March 2020 a b Under Pakistan Rule Gilgit Baltistan Most Neglected Backward Area in South Asia Says New Book News18 18 August 2019 a b Episode 1 A Window to Gilgit Baltistan By Ian Hibbert 17 November 2015 Alpamayo to Everest It s Not About the Summit ISBN 9781483440736 Petech Luciano 1977 The Kingdom of Ladakh c 950 1842 A D Istituto Italiano per il media ed Estremo Oriente By Rafi U Samad 2011 The Grandeur of Gandhara The Ancient Buddhist Civilization of the Swat ISBN 9780875868592 Sen Tansen 2015 Buddhism Diplomacy and Trade The Realignment of India China Relations 600 1400 Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 9781442254732 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Schmidt Ruth Laila Kohistani Razwal 2008 A Grammar of the Shina Language of Indus Kohistan ISBN 978 3447056762 Retrieved 23 January 2018 Twist Rebecca L 2007 Patronage Devotion and Politics A Buddhological Study of the Patola Sahi Dynasty s Visual Record Ohio State University ISBN 9783639151718 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Stein Mark Aurel 1907 Ancient Khotan Detailed Report of Archaeological Explorations in Chinese Turkestan Vol 1 Oxford UK Clarendon Press pp 4 18 a b Bradnock Robert W 1994 South Asian Handbook Trade amp Travel Publications p 1168 a b Neelis Jason 2011 Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks brill com p 177 ISBN 9789004181595 Archived from the original on 22 February 2018 Retrieved 21 February 2018 Stein Aurel 2011 Archaeological Notes form the Hindukush Region Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain amp Ireland 76 1 2 5 24 doi 10 1017 S0035869X00098713 ISSN 0035 869X S2CID 163127705 Sri Nava Surendraditya Nandideva Baltistan Tibetan Encyclopedia 董誥 卷0039 冊勃律國王文 全唐文 Complete collection of Tang prose in Chinese Vol 0039 via Wikisource a b 卷221下 新唐書 New Book of Tang in Chinese Vol 221 via Wikisource Francke August Hermann 1992 Antiquities of Indian Tibet Part 1 ISBN 9788120607699 Grousset Rene 1952 The Rise and Splendour of the Chinese Empire p 160 By Angela Falco Howard 2006 Chinese Sculpture p 313 ISBN 978 0300100655 Mock John October 2013 A Tibetan Toponym from Afghanistan PDF Revue d Etudes Tibetaines 27 5 9 ISSN 1768 2959 Retrieved 22 January 2018 By Henry Osmaston Philip Denwood 1995 Recent Research on Ladakh 4 amp 5 Proceedings of the Fourth and Fifth ISBN 9788120814042 P Stobdan April 2008 The last colony Muzaffarabad Gilgit Baltistan ISBN 9788183860673 International Council on Archives National Archives of Pakistan 1990 Guide to the Sources of Asian History National archives Provincial archives District archives ISBN 9789698156022 Philippe Fabry Yousuf Shahid 1995 Wandering with the Indus ISBN 9789690102249 Francke August Hermann 1907 A History of Western Tibet One of the Unknown Empires Asian Educational Services pp 164 ISBN 978 81 206 1043 9 By S R Bakshi 1997 Kashmir History and People Sarup amp Sons p 158 ISBN 9788185431963 By Sanjeev Kumar Bhasi 2006 Amazing Land Ladakh Places People and Culture ISBN 9788173871863 By Shridhar Kaul H N Kaul 1992 Ladakh Through the Ages Towards a New Identity ISBN 9788185182759 Bubandt Nils Ole Beek Martijn Van 12 March 2012 Varieties of Secularism in Asia Anthropological Explorations of Religion Politics and the Spiritual Routledge ISBN 9781136668647 via Google Books By Peter Berger Frank Heidemann 3 June 2013 The Modern Anthropology of India Ethnography Themes and Theory ISBN 978 1134061112 Bangash 2010 pp 125 126 Quick guide Kashmir dispute BBC News 29 June 2006 Retrieved 14 June 2009 Who changed the face of 47 war The Times of India 14 August 2005 Retrieved 14 August 2005 Bangash 2010 p 128 Ghansara Singh wrote to the prime minister of Kashmir in case the State accedes to the Indian Union the Gilgit province will go to Pakistan but no action was taken on it and in fact Srinagar never replied to any of his messages Snedden 2013 p 14 Similarly Muslims in Western Jammu Province particularly in Poonch many of whom had martial capabilities and Muslims in the Frontier Districts Province strongly wanted Jammu and Kashmir to join Pakistan Schofield 2003 pp 63 64 Bangash 2010 Schofield Victoria 2000 Kashmir in Conflict India Pakistan and the Unending War I B Tauris pp 63 64 ISBN 978 1 86064 898 4 Bangash 2010 p 133 Bangash 2010 p 132 Bangash 2010 p 137 Bangash Yaqoob Khan 9 January 2016 Gilgit Baltistan part of Pakistan by choice The Express Tribune Retrieved 5 January 2017 Nearly 70 years ago the people of the Gilgit Wazarat revolted and joined Pakistan of their own free will as did those belonging to the territories of Chilas Koh Ghizr Ishkoman Yasin and Punial the princely states of Hunza and Nagar also acceded to Pakistan Hence the time has come to acknowledge and respect their choice of being full fledged citizens of Pakistan Zutshi Chitralekha 2004 Languages of Belonging Islam Regional Identity and the Making of Kashmir C Hurst amp Co Publishers pp 309 ISBN 978 1 85065 700 2 a b c Mahmud 2008 p 24 Sokefeld Martin November 2005 From Colonialism to Postcolonial Colonialism Changing Modes of Domination in the Northern Areas of Pakistan PDF The Journal of Asian Studies 64 4 939 973 doi 10 1017 S0021911805002287 S2CID 161647755 Schofield 2003 p 66 Bajwa Farooq 2013 From Kutch to Tashkent The Indo Pakistan War of 1965 Hurst Publishers pp 22 24 ISBN 978 1 84904 230 7 Bose Tapan K 2004 Raṇabira Samaddara ed Peace Studies An Introduction To the Concept Scope and Themes Sage p 324 ISBN 978 0 7619 9660 6 Varshney Ashutosh 1992 Three Compromised Nationalisms Why Kashmir has been a Problem PDF in Raju G C Thomas ed Perspectives on Kashmir the roots of conflict in South Asia Westview Press p 212 ISBN 978 0 8133 8343 9 Warikoo Kulbhushan 2008 Himalayan Frontiers of India Historical Geo Political and Strategic Perspectives 1st ed Routledge p 78 ISBN 978 0 415 46839 8 Snedden 2013 p 91 Sahni 2009 p 73 Discord in Pakistan s Northern Areas 2007 p 5 Bansal 2007 p 60 a b From the fringes Gilgit Baltistanis silently observe elections Dawn 1 May 2013 Priyanka Singh 2013 p 16 Raman 2009 p 87 Behera 2007 p 180 a b c Mahmud 2008 p 25 Weightman Barbara A 2 December 2005 Dragons and Tigers A Geography of South East and Southeast Asia 2nd ed John Wiley amp Sons p 193 ISBN 978 0 471 63084 5 Chellaney Brahma 2011 Water Asia s New Battleground Georgetown University Press p 249 ISBN 978 1 58901 771 9 China s Interests in Shaksgam Valley Sharnoff s Global Views 10 October 2013 Discord in Pakistan s Northern Areas 2007 pp 8 9 Mahmud 2008 pp 28 29 GB s aspirations Dawn 16 June 2015 Archived from the original on 12 June 2021 Mahmud 2008 p 25 26 Levy amp Scott Clark Deception 2010 Chapter 13 Undaunted Musharraf had in 1988 been called on by General Beg to put down a Shia riot in Gilgit in the north of Pakistan Rather than get the Pakistan army bloodied he inducted a tribal band of Pashtun and Sunni irregulars many from the SSP which had recently put out a contract on Bhutto led by the mercenary Osama bin Laden who had been hired by Hamid Gul to do the same four years earlier Mahmud 2008 p 27 Mahmud 2008 pp 26 27 Mahmud 2008 p 32 Mahmud Ershad 24 January 2016 Gilgit Baltistan A province or not The News on Sunday Archived from the original on 31 May 2016 Retrieved 8 July 2016 UNPO Gilgit Baltistan unpo org 11 September 2017 Retrieved 24 January 2019 Bouzas Antia Mato 2012 Mixed Legacies in Contested Borderlands Skardu and the Kashmir Dispute Geopolitics 17 4 867 886 doi 10 1080 14650045 2012 660577 S2CID 73717097 Naqash Tariq 9 July 2015 AJK opposes giving provincial status to GB Dawn Retrieved 27 December 2016 MUZAFFARABAD Azad Jammu and Kashmir AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed warned the federal government on Wednesday against any attempt to convert Gilgit Baltistan into a province of Pakistan Pak desire to integrate Gilgit Baltistan may help solve Kashmir Tangle NDT submission mail pakistanchristianpost com Retrieved 11 February 2022 Pakistan to make Gilgit Baltistan a full fledged province report The Hindu 17 September 2020 Retrieved 1 October 2020 Mukhopadhyaya Ankita 13 November 2020 Pakistan s Gilgit Baltistan province Will it make the Kashmir dispute irrelevant Deutsche Welle Dividing governance Three new districts notified in G B The Express Tribune 5 February 2017 Those Troubled Peaks 11 May 2015 Mehdi Tahir 16 June 2015 GB s aspirations Dawn a b Gilgit Baltistan A question of autonomy Indian Express 21 September 2009 Retrieved 23 February 2013 Shigri Manzar 12 November 2009 Pakistan s disputed Northern Areas go to polls Reuters com Retrieved 23 February 2013 Pakistani president signs Gilgit Baltistan autonomy order English Xinhua News xinhuanet com 7 September 2009 Archived from the original on 9 June 2011 Retrieved 5 June 2010 a b Gilgit Baltistan autonomy Dawn 9 September 2009 Retrieved 23 February 2013 Gilgit Baltistan Geography History Politics and Languages 19 November 2016 Gilgit Baltistan part of Jammu and Kashmir India The Times of India 10 March 2006 Archived from the original on 4 October 2013 Gilgit Baltistan divided into three divisions The Express Tribune 1 February 2012 Retrieved 20 June 2016 a b Gilgit Baltistan Districts amp Places Population Statistics in Maps and Charts citypopulation de Retrieved 20 June 2016 Shafqat Hussain 2015 Pak population increased by 46 9 between 1998 and 2011 The Times of India Retrieved 27 January 2016 Statistical Booklet on Gilgit Baltistan PDF Government of Gilgit Baltistan 2014 Archived from the original PDF on 13 December 2014 Retrieved 11 December 2014 Rock Carvings and Inscriptions along the Karakorum Highway Pakistan a brief introduction Between gandhara and the silk roads Climate of Gilgit Baltistan formerly Northern Areas WWF Pakistan Archived from the original on 4 September 2009 Retrieved 11 June 2009 Weather of Gilgit Skardu Chitral Chilas Islamabad Gilgit Baltistan promoting culture and tourism Gilgit Baltistan Archived from the original on 14 August 2018 Retrieved 14 August 2018 Baltistan region Northern Areas Kashmir Pakistan Britannica Online Encyclopedia Retrieved 5 June 2010 Gilgit Kashmir region Indian subcontinent Britannica Online Encyclopedia Retrieved 5 June 2010 Welcome to PAKISTANALPINE COM pakistanalpine com Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 20 June 2016 Baltistan in History Banat Gul Afridi The Pride Official Newsletter of SNGPL PDF Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited 13 9 9 November 2020 Skardu pk Top 10 Most beautiful plces to visit in Pakistan Skardu pk Retrieved 18 February 2017 5 Most Beautiful Places To Visit in Gilgit Baltistan Skardu pk www skardu pk Retrieved 7 March 2020 Kashgar Gilgit bus service planned Dawn 23 March 2006 Retrieved 10 October 2019 a b Census shows patterns the same across LoC 21 September 2017 Population poverty and environment PDF Northern Areas Strategy for Sustainable Development Archived from the original PDF on 22 November 2004 Retrieved 17 November 2006 Exploring the potential for fertility change A ranking of districts based on socio demographic conduciveness to family planning PDF United Nations Population Fund Pakistan s Fragile Foundations Council on Foreign Relations 12 March 2009 Archived from the original on 1 February 2010 Retrieved 16 January 2010 International Programs Archived from the original on 7 January 2017 Retrieved 10 December 2017 Khowar South Asia Blog Katy Gardner 1999 Leif O Manger ed Muslim diversity local Islam in global contexts Routledge p 64 ISBN 978 0 7007 1104 8 Election Gilgit Baltistan 8 Languages 10 Ethnic Groups 6 Districts 4 Religious sects 24 National Assembly Seats GILGIT BALTISTAN GB 22 January 2010 Masica Colin P 1993 The Indo Aryan Languages Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 29944 2 he agreed with Grierson in seeing Rajasthani influence on Pahari and Dardic influence on or under the whole Northwestern group Pahari Sindhi and including Lahnda Dardic Romany and West Pahari there has been a tendency to transfer of r from medial clusters to a position after the initial consonant Munshi S 2008 Keith Brown Sarah Ogilvie eds Concise encyclopedia of languages of the world Elsevier ISBN 978 0 08 087774 7 retrieved 11 May 2010 Based on historical sub grouping approximations and geographical distribution Bashir 2003 provides six sub groups of the Dardic languages Malik Amar Nath 1995 The phonology and morphology of Panjabi Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers ISBN 978 81 215 0644 1 retrieved 26 May 2010 drakhat tree electricpulp com DARDESTAN a b Sectarian conflict in Gilgit Baltistan PDF pildat May 2011 Archived from the original PDF on 27 September 2013 Retrieved 24 June 2013 Naumann amp Fischer Tahir 2013 p 87 Spencer C Tucker amp Priscilla Roberts 2008 p 917 a b Raman 2009 p 79 Census of India 1941 Volume XXII Part III 1942 p 502 Census of India 1941 Volume XXII Part III 1942 p 512 Census of India 1941 Volume XXII Part III 1942 p 520 Census of India 1941 Volume XXII Parts I amp II 1942 p 337 Milena Marchesi Silvia De Zordo ed 5 February 2016 Reproduction and Biopolitics Ethnographies of Governance Rationality and Resistance Taylor amp Francis ISBN 9781317618041 a b Culture and Heritage of Gilgit visitgilgitbaltistan gov pk Gov Pk Retrieved 23 April 2015 Amanullah Khan 1999 Gilgit Baltistan a disputed territory or a fossil of intrigues F M Khan 2002 The story of Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral a short history of two millenniums AD 7 1999 James H Mills ed 2005 Subaltern Sports Politics and Sport in South Asia p 77 ISBN 9781843311683 De Filippi Filippo Luigi Amedeo di Savoia 1912 Karakoram and Western Himalaya 1909 Dutton polo was originated in baltistan Edward Delmar Morgan ed 1893 Transactions of the Ninth International Congress of Orientalists Volume 2 Israr ud Din 2008 Proceedings of the Third International Hindu Kush Cultural Conference Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195798890 Banat Gul Afridi 1988 Baltistan in History Bibliography Discord in Pakistan s Northern Areas PDF Asia Report Brussels International Crisis Group 2 April 2007 N 131 Archived from the original PDF on 20 May 2016 Retrieved 23 April 2016 Bangash Yaqoob Khan 2010 Three Forgotten Accessions Gilgit Hunza and Nagar The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 38 1 117 143 doi 10 1080 03086530903538269 S2CID 159652497 Bansal Alok 2007 In Pursuit of Forced Assimilation Sectarian and Ethnic Marginalisation in Gilgit Baltistan India Quarterly A Journal of International Affairs 63 2 56 80 doi 10 1177 097492840706300203 S2CID 153450836 Burki Shahid Javed 2015 Historical Dictionary of Pakistan Rowman amp Littlefield p 228 ISBN 978 1 4422 4148 0 Behera Navnita Chadha 2007 Demystifying Kashmir Pearson Education India ISBN 978 81 317 0846 0 Bouzas Antia Mato 12 January 2013 Securitization and Development as Modes of Peripheralization in North Eastern Pakistan in Matthias Naumann Andrea Fischer Tahir eds Peripheralization The Making of Spatial Dependencies and Social Injustice Springer Science amp Business Media pp 77 98 ISBN 978 3 531 19018 1 Hussain Shafqat 2015 Remoteness and Modernity Transformation and Continuity in Northern Pakistan Yale University Press p 14 ISBN 978 0 300 20555 8 Levy Adrian Scott Clark Catherine 2010 Deception Pakistan the United States and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN 978 0 8027 1860 0 Mahmud Ershad 2008 The Gilgit Baltistan Reforms Package 2007 Background Phases and Analysis Policy Perspectives 5 1 23 40 JSTOR 42909184 Naumann Matthias Fischer Tahir Andrea 12 January 2013 Peripheralization The Making of Spatial Dependencies and Social Injustice Springer Science amp Business Media ISBN 978 3 531 19018 1 Raman B 2009 The Northern Areas of Jammu and Kashmir in K Warikoo ed Himalayan Frontiers of India Historical Geo Political and Strategic Perspectives Routledge pp 78 88 ISBN 978 1 134 03294 5 Schofield Victoria 2003 First published in 2000 Kashmir in Conflict London and New York I B Taurus amp Co ISBN 978 1 86064 898 4 Sahni Paul 2009 The Ceasefire Line and Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir Evolution of a border in K Warikoo ed Himalayan Frontiers of India Historical Geo Political and Strategic Perspectives Routledge pp 67 77 ISBN 978 1 134 03294 5 Singh Priyanka 2013 Gilgit Baltistan Between Hope and Despair New Delhi Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses ISBN 978 93 82169 13 0 Snedden Christopher 2013 Kashmir The Unwritten History HarperCollins India ISBN 978 93 5029 897 8 First published as Snedden Christopher 2012 The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir London Hurst amp Co ISBN 978 18 4904 150 8 Tucker Spencer C Roberts Priscilla 12 May 2008 The Encyclopedia of the Arab Israeli Conflict A Political Social and Military History 4 volumes A Political Social and Military History ABC CLIO ISBN 978 1 85109 842 2 Wang S 2004 Of Rivers and Human Rights the Northern Areas Pakistan s Forgotten Colony in Jammu and Kashmir International Journal on Minority and Group Rights 11 187 doi 10 1163 1571811041631272 Weightman Barbara A 2 December 2005 Dragons and Tigers A Geography of South East and Southeast Asia 2nd ed John Wiley amp Sons p 193 ISBN 978 0 471 63084 5 lt ref gt Wreford R G 1942 Census of India 1941 Volume XXII Jammu and Kashmir Parts I amp II The Ranbir Government Press Wreford R G 1942 Census of India 1941 Volume XXII Jammu and Kashmir Part III PDF The Ranbir Government PressExternal linksGilgit Baltistan at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel information from Wikivoyage Resources from Wikiversity Official Website of the Gilgit Baltistan Council Official Website of the Government of Gilgit Baltistan Official Tourism Website of the Government of Gilgit Baltistan Official Website of Ministry of Kashmir amp Gilgit Baltistan Azar Amjad Hussain Gilgit Baltistan Disputed or Victim of Kashmir Dispute Archived from the original on 22 February 2018 Retrieved 21 February 2018 Gilgit Baltistan at Curlie Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gilgit Baltistan amp oldid 1134105945, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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