Gilgit-Baltistan, a region of breathtaking landscapes and immense strategic significance, has become a focal point of the long-standing dispute between India and Pakistan. Nestled in the northernmost part of the Indian subcontinent, this region holds a unique historical and legal status, having been an integral part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir before 1947. However, Pakistan, in a blatant act of territorial aggression, has been unlawfully attempting to incorporate Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province, disregarding international treaties and the voices of its own people.
For over seven decades, Pakistan has maintained an iron grip over Gilgit-Baltistan, exploiting its resources and suppressing political freedoms while denying its people constitutional rights. The region’s legal status remains disputed, yet Islamabad is aggressively pushing for full integration, seeking to erase its historical connection with India. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan have long resisted this forced annexation, demanding genuine autonomy and recognition of their identity. Meanwhile, the Indian government continues to assert that Gilgit-Baltistan is an inalienable part of India, a claim backed by the Instrument of Accession signed in 1947. With Pakistan’s increasing desperation to consolidate its control and China’s growing involvement through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor the fate of Gilgit-Baltistan hangs in the balance, making it a critical flashpoint in the region’s geopolitics.
Before the partition of British India in 1947, Gilgit-Baltistan was an integral part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, historically and administratively linked to the larger region. The region was lawfully governed by Maharaja Hari Singh, who ruled over a diverse and strategically significant territory. However, as the partition unfolded, Pakistan, eager to expand its territory, began orchestrating a plan to take control of Gilgit-Baltistan by any means necessary.
When Maharaja Hari Singh faced a brutal invasion by Pakistani-backed tribal forces in October 1947, he sought India’s help. In return, he signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947, legally integrating Jammu and Kashmir—including Gilgit-Baltistan—into the Indian Union. However, even as Indian forces repelled the tribal invaders in other parts of Kashmir, events in Gilgit took a different turn.
Despite the legal accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, Pakistan executed a well-planned coup in Gilgit-Baltistan. This was facilitated by British officers commanding the Gilgit Scouts, a local paramilitary force that had been under British administrative control. On November 1, 1947, these officers staged a rebellion against Maharaja Hari Singh’s governor, Brigadier Ghansara Singh, overthrowing the Dogra administration. Within days, they declared Gilgit-Baltistan as part of Pakistan, despite the region’s lawful accession to India.
Following this coup, Pakistan launched further military offensives in the region, leading to its forcible occupation. The first Indo-Pakistani war (1947-1948) saw heavy fighting, but after an UN-brokered ceasefire in 1949, Pakistan retained control over Gilgit-Baltistan illegally. This occupation was in direct violation of international law, as the region was—and still remains—a legally recognized part of India.
For over seven decades, Pakistan has unlawfully controlled Gilgit-Baltistan while failing to grant it official provincial status due to its internationally recognized disputed status.
Despite the people of Gilgit-Baltistan historically identifying as part of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has continued its unconstitutional rule:
Pakistan introduced an administrative body with limited powers, deliberately sidelining local voices.
This was an attempt to create an illusion of self-governance while keeping ultimate power in Islamabad.
Pakistan took further steps to consolidate its control, leading to local protests against the denial of genuine autonomy.
For over seven decades, Pakistan’s governance in Gilgit-Baltistan has been marred by systemic neglect, political repression, and an outright denial of fundamental rights. The people of the region have continuously voiced their dissent, demanding proper representation and autonomy. However, successive Pakistani governments have instead sought to tighten their grip, manipulating the region’s administrative structure while preventing any real empowerment of its inhabitants.
The introduction of the Northern Areas Council in 1974 was a calculated move by Islamabad to create a façade of representation. However, this body lacked the legislative authority to enact meaningful reforms, leaving the region under the de facto rule of bureaucrats appointed by the central government. Over the years, this structure led to growing frustration among locals, who felt alienated from decision-making processes concerning their own land.
In 2009, Pakistan introduced the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, a step presented as a reform but in reality, another tactic to deceive the local population. While this order nominally allowed for an elected legislature, real power remained concentrated in Islamabad. The Pakistani government continued to control crucial aspects of governance, including security and resource management, leaving Gilgit-Baltistan in a state of political subjugation.
The 2018 Gilgit-Baltistan Order further stripped away what little autonomy the region had, reinforcing Islamabad’s authority and effectively nullifying local aspirations for self-governance. This move was met with widespread protests, as it reaffirmed that Pakistan had no intention of granting the people of Gilgit-Baltistan the rights they deserved. Instead, Islamabad focused on ensuring that any dissent was crushed, leading to arrests and crackdowns on activists advocating for legitimate representation.
In 2020, Pakistan pushed a proposal to make Gilgit-Baltistan its fifth province, a direct violation of international law and United Nations resolutions. By doing so, Pakistan aimed to:
Legitimize its illegal occupation and silence the region’s historical ties to India.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor runs through Gilgit-Baltistan, making it crucial for Pakistan’s financial and strategic interests.
The move was met with resistance from the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, who have long demanded reunification with Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan has systematically denied the people of Gilgit-Baltistan fundamental rights:
No representation in Pakistan’s National Assembly or Senate.
Arbitrary arrests of activists demanding rights or opposing Pakistan’s illegal governance.
Suppression of any movement advocating reunification with India.
Pakistan has been looting the region’s vast natural resources, including minerals, water, and forests, without reinvesting in local development. Projects like the Diamer-Bhasha Dam have displaced locals without adequate compensation, fueling further resentment.
Pakistan’s aggressive push to integrate Gilgit-Baltistan is largely influenced by China. Beijing’s investments in the region through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have forced Islamabad to tighten its grip, disregarding both local opposition and international law. China, keen to secure its economic and strategic interests, has silently backed Pakistan’s illegal annexation attempts.
Under CPEC, massive infrastructure projects have been initiated, including roads, power plants, and trade routes that pass-through Gilgit-Baltistan. However, these projects primarily benefit Pakistan and China, while the local population suffers from land dispossession, environmental degradation, and a lack of economic inclusion. The region’s natural resources are being exploited without fair compensation to the indigenous people, leading to growing resentment and protests.
China’s strategic ambitions in the region extend beyond economic interests. Given Gilgit-Baltistan’s geographical significance—bordering Xinjiang and serving as a gateway to Central Asia—Beijing sees the region as a critical corridor for expanding its Belt and Road Initiative By supporting Pakistan’s claim over Gilgit-Baltistan, China ensures the security of its investments while further strengthening its foothold in South Asia.
Pakistan, in turn, has used Chinese backing as leverage to suppress local opposition. Political activists and journalists who speak against CPEC and Islamabad’s unlawful control face persecution, arrests, and enforced disappearances. Despite these repressive tactics, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan continue to resist, demanding their fundamental rights and an end to Pakistan’s forced occupation.
India has consistently and unequivocally maintained its rightful claim over Gilgit-Baltistan. Following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Indian leaders have reinforced that Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir including Gilgit-Baltistan, remains an integral part of India. The Indian Parliament has passed resolutions affirming India’s sovereignty over the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit-Baltistan, and has called for its rightful reintegration.
India has raised Pakistan’s illegal occupation at multiple international forums, including the United Nations, exposing Islamabad’s coercive tactics and its systematic suppression of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. The Indian government has also highlighted how Pakistan’s governance in the region has been marked by human rights violations, economic exploitation, and forced demographic changes.
Moreover, India has taken diplomatic steps to counter Pakistan’s illegal moves, strengthening alliances with global partners to isolate Pakistan over its occupation of Gilgit-Baltistan. New Delhi has also emphasized its commitment to reclaiming the territory by all legitimate means.
The Indian leadership has assured that Gilgit-Baltistan’s people, who share historical and cultural ties with India, will be given a rightful place in India’s democratic framework once the illegal occupation ends.
With Pakistan desperately seeking to tighten its grip over Gilgit-Baltistan under China’s influence, India remains firm in its stance that the region is non-negotiable and will ultimately be reintegrated into the Indian Union.
Pakistan’s relentless efforts to forcibly annex Gilgit-Baltistan as its province are a blatant violation of historical, legal, and moral principles. The region rightfully belongs to India, as per the events of 1947. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan continue to suffer under Pakistan’s oppressive rule, and the world must recognize their struggle. Until justice is served, Pakistan’s illegal occupation of Gilgit-Baltistan will remain an unresolved and pressing issue in the Kashmir dispute.
