In a move that is bound to raise hackles in India, Pakistan is working on raising the constitutional status of its occupied Gilgit-Baltistan to address China’s concerns over the $46-billion economic corridor through the strategic region.
The strategic region in the north provides the only vital link with China. It is also on the key route of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), linking western China to southern Pakistan’s Gwadar Port with a network of roads, highways, railways and investment parks.
An official said that a committee was working on a plan to address Chi-nese concerns over its in-vestment after India obj-ected to its building of the CPEC through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“One of the proposals is to raise the status of the region, but it will be still short of regular province. The region would be mentioned in the Constitution and will be represented in Parliament,†he said.
If implemented, the mountainous region wo-uld find a mention in Pa-kistan’s Constitution for the first time. According to analysts, its new status could have far-reaching ramifications — change of Pakistan’s traditional stance on Kashmir and also possible increase of friction with India.
The PoK is divided into what is called as “Azad Kashmir†and Gilgit-Baltistan. Both these regions have their own legislative assemblies and, technically, are not part of Pakistan federation.Pakistan
Internally, both regions are largely independent but external affairs and defence are strictly controlled by Pakistan.Traditionally, Pakistan maintains that Kashmir is a disputed region and its status should be decided through plebiscite under the UN resolution of 1948-49.
India and Pakistan have fought two full-scale wars over Kashmir, and any changes to the status quo could prove a further setback to hopes for dialogue that were revived after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the historic Lahore visit.
But according to Pak-istani strategic analyst Ayesha Siddiqa, the move could also signal Isla-mabad’s desire to end the Kashmir conflict by formally absorbing the territory it controls.
Source from India Defence News.
