Page 23 - Seniors Today - Oct 2019
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or even drawn up. The Balti nationalists have Government Act of 1970. In May 1999, Pakistan
also questioned the right of the J&K Moslem Supreme Court declared that resident of the
Conference to “gift” something which it never Northern Areas were citizens of Pakistan. It is
“owned”. How can one delegate a right or power, still known as FANA – Federally Administered
one does not have? Northern Areas.
During the period of its illegal occupation of
Pakistan has taken different and sometimes Pakistan the resident of Northern Areas were
contradictory stands regarding the status of denied Fundamental Rights. They had no
this region. Before the UNCIP it accepted the representation in any legislative setup including
position that it was part of Jammu & Kashmir the National Assembly. There was not much
and that it would be subjected to proposed development in social sectors either. Pakistan,
plebiscite. By Sino-Pakistan Frontier Agreement however, built the Karakoram Highway and
of 1963, Pakistan ceded to China 5180 sq. kms. network of strategic roads, airports and helipads
of Indian territory. Later, to further strengthen to upgrade its defence infrastructure. On lines of
Sino-Pak friendship and to enable China to Gilgit Scouts, Chitral Scouts, Karakoram Scouts,
reach Indian Ocean, Karakoram Highway Northern Scouts and Khyber Rifles were raised.
was built. This 900 km long highway cost a In early 1970s all these paramilitary forces were
billion dollars and resulted in the loss of over absorbed in the Pakistan Army and formed as a
700 lives. India strongly protested against separate regiment with the Regimental Centre
ceding of Indian territory to China and later at Bunji. This Regiment was given the name of
when the highway was constructed through Northern Light Infantry. During Kargil War
Indian territory. Both protests were rejected of 1999 heavy causalities of over 2700 of its
by Pakistan. In September 1974 when Pakistan personnel resulted in large scale anger against
Government merged Hunza principality into Pakistan Government. People of the Northern
the Northern Area of Pakistan, India denounced Areas staged anti-Government agitation till
Pakistani action. Pakistan rejected this also. the Federal Government agreed to consider
In July 2006 the Governments of China and them at par with the rest of the personnel of the
Pakistan decided to further improve and Pakistan Army.
upgrade the Highway into a Super-Highway.
This was with intention of China wanting to use Growing movement
Gwadar Port on the Makran Coast for increased All through these five decades and more,
international trade as well as to get a closer a movement for democratic rights, equity,
route for the middle eastern oil. representative government and economic
In the AJK Interim Constitution promulgated development had been building. Since 1950s
in 1974 there was nothing to show that the all branches of political parties operating in
Northern Areas were under the administrative POK were closed in the Northern Areas. The
control of AJK Government. They were
administered directly by Pakistan Federal
Government under Frontier Crime Regulations
till 1973. It was neither a State, nor a Province.
“Azad Jammu & Kashmir” High Court had
declared in 1993 that the Northern Areas
comprising of Gilgit, Baltistan, etc, were legally
part of State of Jammu & Kashmir, which is one
entity. It further asked that these areas should
come under control of AJK Government. The
Court also said that Karachi Agreement was
by implication repealed by enforcement of Baltit fort in Karimabad, Hunza valley, is a Unesco World
Heritage site
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