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Kashmiri politicians opposed a Pakistani plan on Monday they say is aimed at integrating the strategic but disputed Northern Areas into Pakistan, arguing it will undermine their case for independence from India.

The Northern Areas of Gilgit and Baltistan were bundled in with Kashmir and demarcated as disputed territory under U.N. resolutions passed after Pakistan and India fought the first of their three wars in 1948.

Bordering China on one side and the mainly Buddhist Indian region of Ladakh on the other, Pakistan’s sparsely populated Northern Areas are known to mountaineers as the home of many of the world’s highest peaks.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India fought a brief but intense border conflict in the Kargil sector of this region in 1999.

Although Pakistan has held the northern territories since the first war with India, their status was hitherto undefined as Pakistan had not wanted to compromise its case in the broader dispute over Kashmir.

On Saturday, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani unveiled a reform package that would result in these areas having their own governor and chief minister.

The areas have also been renamed as Gilgit-Baltistan.

Amanullah Khan, leader of the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, rejected the package, saying it appeared to be aimed at merging the disputed areas into Pakistan.

“We strongly condemn this package. It will harm the interests of Pakistan as well as Kashmiris,” he told Reuters.

“It looks like they are integrating these areas into Pakistan as done by India.”

“SUSPICIOUS, UNACCEPTABLE”

Sardar Atiqque Ahmed Khan, a pro-Pakistan politician and a former prime minister of Pakistan-ruled Kashmir, also expressed reservations about the package.

“We support internal autonomy for these areas … but such moves to unilaterally alter the status of these areas and gradually give them the status of a province are suspicious and unacceptable,” he said.

The roughly 1.5 million people of Gilgit and Baltistan largely oppose integration into Kashmir and demand the territory be merged into Pakistan and declared a separate province.

Officials in the past had stonewalled on this demand because it would have diluted Pakistan’s demand for implementation of a U.N.-mandated plebiscite to allow the people of Kashmir to determine their own future.
Pakistani Kashmir, known as Azad Kashmir, enjoys some sort of self-rule with its own government, parliament and flag, but the Northern Areas are directly ruled by Islamabad.

India holds about 45 percent of Kashmir and Pakistan more than a third. China controls the remainder.

Analysts say the reform package appears to be aimed at striking a balance between giving some sort of internal autonomy to the Northern Areas without undermining Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir dispute.

“They have met the demands of people of the Northern Areas on a limited scale,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a political analyst.

“It’s a mid-way house. They will give them some concessions and then will wait and see what happens to the Kashmir issue.”

by Zar Alam Khan

ISLAMABAD: As Chitral is facing worst ever electricity crisis, a tug of war among the politicians coupled with rampant mismanagement and inefficiency of the local power utility officials have further compounded the miseries of the consumers leaving no room for resolution of the problem.

Though small hydropower units have been set up and are working efficiently even in remote villages of the valley through monetary and technical know-how provided by the private sector, power crisis in the main town having a population of about 40,000 has deteriorated during the last a couple of years.

The local power house generates about one megawatt; 1.2 megawatts are supplied from the Reshun hydropower station in the Mastuj tehsil while about 1.5 megawatts come from the national grid against the total demand of about three megawatts. However, the consumers allege that the Pesco officials show the production of Chitral town powerhouse at 600 kw and do not give account for the electricity coming from Reshun and the national grid.

The consumers say sufficient electricity is available in the town and more can be generated with ease, but local political leaders have messed up with the issue for their own vested interests. All the political leaders including the district nazim of Jamaat-i-Islami, a provincial minister belonging to the PPP and the PML-Q MNA have played games for their own vested interests. When one leader tries to resolve the issue, others waste no time to sabotage his efforts lest he gets credit for it.

Fed up with the power breakdowns some time stretching up to over 20 hours daily, thousands of consumers led by convener Movement for Restoration of Electricity Wg Cdr (retired) Fardad Ali Shah took to the streets recently demanding transparency in utilisation of the available electricity and investigation into alleged mismanagement, corruption and misuse of authority by the Pesco officials. Members of the movement claimed that the local power station was producing over one megawatt, its maximum rated output with two turbines, but only 600 kw was being accounted for and there was no record where the remaining 400 kw was being utilised.

The powerhouse has 55 employees most of whom remain absent from duty. Strangely, each employee is enjoying 600 units free electricity which they scrounge up to 4,000 units per employee by subletting free electricity to others.

The local powerhouse has five diesel generators which are never operated even though free fuel was provided for them by the local administration. The consumers said the resident engineer of the power house had refused to operate the generators. The consumers alleged that essential parts of the generators had already been sold out by the officials.

GILGIT : People across Gilgit-Baltistan including public representatives, ulema, notables, political leaders and intellectuals have widely welcomed the new Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order, 2009.

The high-powered Committee under the chairmanship of Minister for Kashmir and Northern Areas (KANA) prepared the reforms package to provide autonomy to the area.

Syed Mehdi Shah President PPP Gilgit Baltistan, Haji Fida Muhammad Nashad Member NAs Assembly Raja Jalal Hussain, Chairman District council Skardu, Ahmad Ali Chairman Municipal Committee Skardu said the package would go a long way in development and empowerment of people of the area.

Senior Parliamentarian of Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Fida Mohammad Nashad expressed satisfaction over the package, saying it was a landmark decision that would swiftly address the grievances of the public in this region.

Talking to APP, Haji Fida Mohammad Nashad, who is also the parliamentary leader of PML-Q in Northern Areas Legislative Assembly, said it was a longstanding demand of the people of the area, which was fulfilled by the present government.

While senior politician and President PPP District Gilgit, Mohammad Mosa congratulated the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and thanked the federal government for the historic decision.

Talking to APP, he said the package was prepared after lengthy consultations with all stakeholders and it was fulfilling all requirements of the area.

He said as a result of the package the area would enjoy autonomy and an independent judiciary and would protect fundamental rights of the people.

He said it was only Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) takes care of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan because it took always revolutionary decisions in the history of the area.

He said all the major improvements for Northern Areas were made during the period of PPP including the first Northern Areas Council Legal Framework Order 1974-75 by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and further democratisation through Northern Areas Legal Framework Order 1994 by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Addressing a big gathering of notables, workers of PPP here at Shaheed Chowk, former MNA Legislative Assembly and President Peoples Party Astore District, Muhammad Naseer Khan hailed the federal government for announcing the package for the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

He said that the people of this region had been deprived since long of their due rights, but today’s announcement of the present government, had proved that it was a democratic government and sincere for the progress and prosperity of the people of this area.

A member Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, leader Muslim Leaque-Q, Dr Muzafar Railey and MNA Nasrullah Khan while talking to APP here said that the decision of the provincial like set up taken by PPP government, has won the hearts and minds of the people of this region.

The President Muslim Leaque-N and former MNA Legislative Assembly, NAs Mahboob Ali Khan while talking about the decision said: “We expressed the hope that the announcement would prove helpful for the people of the area.”

According to the order’s salient features, the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly will formulate its own Rules of Procedures, while legislation on various subjects pertinent to governance will be done by the Council and Assembly in their respective jurisdiction.

The area would be given full rights as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, however it could not be given provincial status as per the Constitution.

The Order has fifteen major parts, while the new name of Northern Areas of Pakistan shall be Gilgit-Baltistan as proposed under Article-2(f).

There shall be a Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan as proposed under Article-20 and shall be appointed by the President of Pakistan.

Till the election of the new legislative Assembly, Federal Minister for KANA will act as the Governor.

The chief minister will be elected by the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, who will be assisted by six ministers.

There shall be a provision of two advisors to the Chief Minister.

The Legislative assembly will have directly elected 24 members, besides six women and three technocrats seats.

The decision will empower the Gilgit-Baltistan Council and Assembly to make laws. The subject under which the Assembly shall now have power to make law has increased from 49 to 61 while the Council shall have 55 subjects.

To empower the Council and the Assembly on financial matters, there shall be a Council Consolidated Fund under article 54, and Gilgit-Baltistan Consolidated Fund under article 55.

Regarding annual budget, he said a detailed item-wise budget shall be presented before the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly as being practiced in Pakistan and shall be accordingly voted upon as suggested in Article 56.

The Chief Judge of Supreme Appellate Court shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Council on the Advice of the Governor and other Judges shall be appointed by the Chairman on the Advice of Governor after seeking views of the Chief Judge.

The Chief Judge and Judges of the Chief Court shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Council on the advice of the Governor on the same pattern as it is being practiced in AJK.

The number of judges had been increased from three to five. The tenure of the present judges of the Supreme Judiciary has been protected in the draft.

Another step forward to empower the people of the areas, is the establishment of Gilgit-Baltistan Public Service Commission and Gilgit-Baltistan Services under Article-80 and 81.

Auditor General Gilgit-Baltistan will be appointed by the Governor on the advice of Council as the case in AJK.

There shall be a Chief Election Commissioner under Article-82 as well as Auditor General besides emergency provisions under article-83 and 87 respectively.

By Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
Naltar is an enchanting valley located some 30 kilometers north-east of Gilgit. About 2 hours drive from the capital city of Northern Areas, it is famous for its undulating alpine slopes, majestic snow-clad peaks, verdant meadows and serene lakes.

It is a paradise for trekkers and ski lovers. Naltar was a hill station for the British. Later Pakistan Air Force set up its winter survival school and the oldest skiing resort at a height of 10,000 feet (3084 meters) there. Pakistan Air Force arranges skiing championships there in winter.

Trekkers usually go trekking from Naltar to Pakora pass in the Ishkoman valley of Ghizer district.

There are two main villages in the valley, Naltar Bala and Naltar Pain, which are further subdivided into small settlements. The villages or settlements of Naltar Bala include Nagar, Gumat, Jagot, Khayot, Chhoti, Dalan, Chimarso, Bishagri and Bidlo while the Naltar Pain settlements comprise the villages of Waldan, now Mominabad, Galin now Jaffarabad, Kot, Harchin, Hodin and Humre. Sheen, Yaskhuns and Gujjars are the main tribes inhabiting in Naltar valley. However, a considerable population of the Gujars lives in Naltar Bala. They speak both Shina and Gujri languages. They subsist on both livestock and agriculture. Potato is the main crop of the valley.

Gujars are not the original settlers of the Naltar valley. They came to settle in the valley over a century ago in search of pastures for their livestock. Some of the families came from Oosho in Kalam, Alai in Thakot, Batagram, while most of them came from Kohistan. One of the notables of Naltar Bala, Mir Baz Khan Gujar, said that his grandfather migrated from his ancestral village Alai in Thakot and settled in Kohistan. Later on, his father moved from Kohistan in search of pastures and eventually settled in Naltar.

The Gujars brought the tradition of carved wooden coffins to Naltar from Kohistan and Swat. This tradition was also prevalent among certain other tribes of Gilgit, Astor, Chilas, Tangir, Darel and Hunza. There are still many grave railings in the valleys of Tangir and Darel. Unfortunately, the tradition of erecting wooden coffins is no more in vogue in Gilgit, Astore and Hunza. However, one finds some decorated and undecorated wooden coffins in Sher Qilla village of Punyal tehsil and Shakyot village of Gilgit. In Naltar valley, none of the tribes except the Gujars erect carved wooden coffins over the graves of their ancestors.

There are three villages in Naltar where one finds the graveyards with the wooden coffins. Locally, the wooden coffin is called Jhangla. The oldest graveyard of the Gujars is located in Dalan where there are many carved wooden coffins. These wooden grave railings are decorated with floral and geometric designs, designs that one can find on many wooden coffins located in different villages in the valleys of Kohistan, Darel, Tangir and Chilas. There are 23 wooden coffins in the graveyard of Dalan. All the graves belong to the Gujars. Most of the grave railings are crumbling. Nevertheless, some of the coffins are still in good condition. These coffins are decorated with variety of floral designs, mostly lotus and sunflower.

Apart from these grave railings, there is another graveyard at Gumat with many wooden coffins of the Gujars. This is the largest graveyard where one finds coffins made of several panels on the different faces and four slender or thick turrets (guldastas) consisting of double leg of a cot. The turrets at the four corners of the grave are also decorated with slits. On some of the graves, one finds the moulded designs. There are two types of graves, simple and decorated. The simple wooden coffins belong to ordinary Gujars whereas the decorated grave railings belong to notables and wealthy dignitaries of the tribe. The graves of the notables carry more intricate carvings and ornamentations. Almost every grave in the Gumat graveyard is decorated with jali work (perforated wooden screen with ornamental design).

Besides the graveyards of Dalan and Gumat, there is another at Khayot where such ornate carved wooden coffins can also be seen. This graveyard is close to Jamia mosque of Khayot. According to Mir Baz Khan Gujar, these were built some 30 years ago. Some of the coffins have recently been erected. The tradition of erecting wooden coffins still continues in Naltar valley. One finds a number of such new coffins in the graveyards of Gumat and Khayot.

The writer is a Staff Anthropologist at PIDE and Ph.D Scholar at Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. He may be contacted atzulfi04@hotmail.com or re.isb@dawn.com