Thread by @bookscache

I am of the view that while he people of Gilgit Baltistan have attained considerable self-rule, they thould now be provided an opportunity to join Pakistan as a regular province of the country, pending final settlement of Kashmir dispute.

@aizaz1101 insightful analysis !!!

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In my view, the people of GB have rightly been disappointed that despite serious doubts on several territories of GB even being a part of the Kashmir state, and despite the deep-seeded desire of the people of the GB to be treated as an integral part of Pakistan.
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I have long maintained that not embracing a people who wish to be with Pakistan was not a wise course of action. We should not keep the people of GB and AJK waiting indefinitely for a promise that was made to them through the UNSC resolutions that India refuses to abide by.
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If we continue to deny these people their right to pronounce their desire to join 🇵🇰, it would be exploited by our detractors.
Appropriate way to move forward would be for🇵🇰to take initiative to fulfil UNSC resolutions to extent of the territories under its own control.
4/22

To that end, a partial plebiscite should be held in CB and AJK to ascertain if they wish to join Pakistan as is expected based on popular opinion in the region. The UN observers can be co-opted with the plebiscite process.
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If the people of GB and AJK vote to join Pakistan, we should honor their verdict and move to amend our constitution with a view to admitting them as two regular provinces of Pakistan, subject to final settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
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It was reported in the Daily Dawn of 31 Aug 2002 that the original accession letter of the Mir of Hunza and other important papers were handed over to President General Pervez, Musharraf by Mrs. Margaret Brown, wife of Major William Brown, Commandant of Gilgit Scouts.
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The opponents of the idea of integrating GB and AJK argue that this would have implications for the legal position of Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute viz a viz the UNSC resolutions. I do not see this to be the case.
8/22

The key point to remember here is that under this scenario, we would be conducting the partial plebiscite, and primarily on the grounds that India is refusing to conduct the full plebiscite.
9/22

Seen this way, we would, in fact, be honoring our part of the mandate given by the UNSC resolutions. Even after this partial plebiscite, we should keep this admission conditional on the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
10/22

This proviso would keep the option of the Kashmir valley to join the AIK and Pakistan if they so wish, and as and when the circumstances permit.
11/22

Another point often cited by some of my colleagues in the Foreign Service is that if we did this, the Indians would turn around to claim that Pakistan has done exactly what India had done. To that argument, I would merely ask, does it matter?
12/22

The Indian side has shown a clear and utter disregard for the UNSC resolutions, and has also taken a nonnegotiable position that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India. So in effect this creates a moot point.
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Issue is will of people of GB &AJK, who have been living side by side with us for 7 decades without getting their deserved rights as citizens of 🇵🇰. True, some would then argue that instead of integrating these two territories, we could give them more powers for local governance.

However, in my view, this would only prolong the status quo and would further agitate the people of GB, who expect to be granted their full right to self-determination as per the UNSC resolutions. After all, justice delayed is justice denied.
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Some of my friends also argue that integrating GB would send a wrong message to Kashmiris struggling across the Line of Control, as if to signal that Pakistan has abandoned the Kashmir cause. I see this also differently.
16/22

Of course, should we move in that direction, we would assure Kashmiris in Valley that granting full rights of citizenship to GB& AJK is an interim measure, pending final settlement of Kashmir dispute,to grant these people same political rights that are available to citizens of🇵🇰.

What we cannot and should not do is to adopt a "wait and see approach".
This becomes all the more vital when we bear in mind the evolving geopolitics of the region. GB is the only geographical link that we have with China.
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In the recent past, at least three Indian Union Ministers have voiced their desire to take back the territories of A]K and GB. I recognize that this Indian ambition is mostly bravado & would not be easy to accomplish, as there is no way Pakistan would ever allow Indians to
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to take any part of AJK & GB. That certainly should remain our red line. However, we must also not forget there is a convergence of interests between 🇮🇳 & a major power that is currently in competition with🇨🇳,& this nexus would not mind disrupting China's link with 🇵🇰 through GB.

An Indian Home Minister even claimed recently that Afghanistan was India's neighbor through GB which India considers as its part. We must remove any such illusions that the Indians or their strategic partners may have about the status of GB.
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It is, therefore, a strategic imperative that the people of GB and the AJK must be allowed to join Pakistan as full citizens sooner than later, pending the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

Reference: page 627-629 of memoir #DiplomaticFootprints by @aizaz1101

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