India warns Pakistan, says change in Gilgit-Baltistan status will not be tolerated

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared Gilgit-Baltistan as an interim province of Pakistan. A vitriolic reaction was received from India over the announcement. Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of India, and Pakistan should immediately vacate this region. The Indian foreign ministry warned that any changes in the Gilgit-Baltistan status would not be tolerated. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan also are bitterly opposing the decision of the Pakistan government. Pakistani opposition party leader Bilawal Bhutto also opposed the announcement and warned that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would teach the government a lesson.

Pakistan was expecting a major public uprising after India withdrew the special status awarded to Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan was planning to raise the Jammu and Kashmir issue on the international stage, riding on the public unrest. But all these Pakistani plans were busted. Whereas, the opposition parties, media and former military officials criticised that the unworthy government of Imran Khan could not do anything to counter India. In this scenario, the pressure to retaliate against India was mounting on Imran Khan. At the same time, China who is making huge investments in Gilgit-Baltistan under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project was becoming apprehensive that India will take over this region along with Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Therefore, the Pakistan government started preparations to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as the fifth Pakistan province.

Experienced statesmen, former military officials and the journalists aware of the situation from Pakistan, had warned the government to take cautious steps while deciding anything about Gilgit Baltistan. Statesmen, military officials and journalists had advised the government that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan will oppose the decision.

Sayyad Ali Shah Gilani, the pro-Pakistan separatist leader from Kashmir, also had appealed to Imran Khan not to take this decision in the current scenario. All these had expressed fears that through this decision, India will take some massive actions, which will jolt Pakistan severely. In a way, all these people warned that Pakistan would walk straight into the Indian trap by declaring Gilgit-Baltistan as the fifth Pakistan province.

Despite all these warnings, Imran Khan, while speaking at a function on Sunday, announced Gilgit-Baltistan, as an interim province. Imran Khan clarified that this provision could be made without violating the guidelines prescribed by the United Nations in the Kashmir agreement. Strong reactions are emanating from Gilgit-Baltistan after this. Locals are bitterly opposed to the decision, and the discontent brewing in the people of this region seems to have intensified. Bilawal Bhutto, leader of Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistani opposition party, claimed that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would teach the government a lesson. Before making the announcement, the Imran Khan government has accused all the leaders from PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan, opposing the decision, of treason. Therefore, there is a possibility of an intense wave of anger originating from this region.

Moreover, the Pakistan government has sanctioned the Chinese projects in the area, without taking the interests of the local population into account. There is strong discontent brewing in the local population against it. Talks are rife that Pakistan took this decision at Chinese behest.

The Indian foreign ministry has issued a stern warning to Pakistan regarding the concerned decision. Along with Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan are also integral parts of India. The Pakistan Prime Minister announced this decision only to establish the illegal Pakistani claim. But India will not tolerate any changes to the status of this region. Indian foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava has warned that Pakistan should vacate this region.