A case study of balawaristan movement (bnf

A case study of Balawaristan

National front (BNF)

Presented by Mazahir Hussain

Sequence Introduction to Gilgit Baltistan Nationalist movements in GB Case study of BNF Causes of nationalism in GB Recommendations Conclusion

Introduction to Gilgit Baltistan

Gilgit Baltistan and AJK are separate administrative units. Gilgit Baltistan is located in the northern part of Pakistan. It shares border

with China in north and west Indian occupied Kashmir in the east Azad Kashmir in south east and its southern part consist of the KP province.

Area … 72,496 sq km ( three times greater than the size of Azad Kashmir) Population ... 2.3 million Two divisions ... Gilgit and Baltistan Seven Districts ... Gilgit, Skardu, Astor, Diamer, Ghizer, Hunza Nagar and

Ganche Six languages... Shina, Balti, Broshiski, Wakhi etc Ethnic groups... Brusho, Mangol, Shin, Yashkun, Syed, Mon, Kashmiri etc Religion.. Muslim( Shia 42%, Sunni 24%, Ismaili 18% and Nurbukshi 16%)

Introduction to Gilgit Baltistan

GB is a disputed area between Pakistan and India since 1947, controlled by Pakistan.

GB is famous for its natural resources like minerals, gems, forests, animal and plant species, and water resources. The largest river of Pakistan Indus River also starts from GB.

Because of its natural beauty, tourism is the famous industry in the region.

The five out of fourteen, Eight Thousand peaks are located in GB. K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak etc are some famous peaks. Though it is a mountainous region but it enjoys other terrains as well, like glaciers, planes, lakes, forests, rivers, valleys etc

Strategically Gilgit Baltistan is important because of its location within three atomic powers, GB also connects China with Pakistan through KKH.

Nationalist movements in Gilgit Baltistan

Balawaristan National Front (BNF)• July 30, 1992 by Nawaz Khan Naji• Demand an independent republic of Balawaristan • Claimed Pakistan's control as illegal justifying the Karachi Agreement.• BNF also claims regions in Indian Administered

Kashmir Kargil and Ladakh as part of its historic territories of balawaristan

Balawaristan National Student Organization (BNSO)• Student wing of BNF• Encourages the youth to struggle for their basic political rights • BNSO organize awareness seminars in Karachi Rawalpindi Lahore and

other cities.

Continued...

Gilgit Baltistan United Movement (GBUM)• August 2011 by Manzoor Parwana• Demands status of a full-fledged province of Pakistan• Also demanded local representation on government bodies. Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance• An umbrella organization which also represents groups such as the

Balawaristan National Front, Karakoram National Movement, the Bolor Research Forum and the Gilgit Baltistan Ladakh Democratic Movement

Other groups include the Gilgit Baltistan National Movement, Gilgit Baltistan National Alliance, Karakoram National Movement, Gilgit Baltistan Thinkers forum and the Bolor Thinkers Forum.

A case study of Balawaristan National Front (BNF)

Balawaristan Gilgit Baltistan

includes Gilgit Skardu Hunza Ishkoman Puniyal and Yasin. The regions of Baltistan and Ladakh (including Kargil) are also considered to be a part of Balawaristan by nationalist parties of Gilgit baltistan and

sometimes Chitral is as well.


Chairman Abdul Hamid Khan Hamid Khan is the founder and chairman of Balawaristan National Front (BNF) a nationalist political party of Gilgit Baltistan (Balawaristan) Chairman Khan started a political struggle for the human and political rights of the deprived people of Gilgit Baltistan after the year 1988. Born in village Bahrkohlti Tehsil Yasen District Ghizer He said "Our great nation is reeling under the stifling control of the Armed Forces of Pakistan and its security agencies”

Motives

We sought freedom for this colonized part of the world.

We declared that we did not wish to become a part of Pakistan on religious or any other grounds.

We condemned the religious and sectarian games played against our people by Pakistan and its intelligence agencies particularly the ISI.



Nationalist transformation BNF was formed on july 1992 under the leadership of

hamid khan and nawaz khan naji On april 1993 bnf gathered all political religious and

national parties of gb on a common platform to oppose the Pakistani occupation

After this gathering sectarian crisis's was started in Gilgit on the basis of shia sunni.

August 1997 BNF along with Karakorum National Movement (KNM) observed the first public Black Jubilee in the region against Pakistan Golden Jubilee.

As a result Chairman Abdul Hamid Khan and many of his colleagues were immediately arrested and sent to Jail by leveling sedition charges (Pakistani section 124A) against them.

A case study of Balawaristan Nation Front (BNF)

Due to the threat to his life Mr. Khan was forced to completely go underground in March 1999.

He finally succeeded in fleeing Pakistan in May the same year.

Nawaz khan Naji dissociated with his parent party and declared that he would establish a new one

After some days naji announced that he would remain in BNF.

Then bnf separate into two groups Hamid group and Naji group Hamid lead his group from abroad and naji is in pakistan

Later on Naji was selecting for the GBLA twice. Now nawaz khan naji lead bnf in GB.

A case study of Balawaristan National front (BNF)

Nawaz khan naji

Nawaz Khan Naji heads a nationalist party Balawaristan National Front (BNF).

Elected to the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) from district Ghizar in 2010.

He believes that GB requires people with capability honesty and trained in political field.

He again elected to GBLA in 2014 election and now he is a member of GBLA

Causes of Nationalism in GB Less budget..... Easy access for outsiders...(no state subject rule) Less attention of the governments towards GB. Lack of regional political parties Lack of opportunities inside GB and in Pakistan for the people of GB. No development and disastrous infrastructure. No medical/engineering universities in GB. Influence of Leftist movements. Cultural differences with other provinces of Pakistan. Hundred of divided families along the LoC.

Recommendations Steps should be taken to eliminate the separatist movements from GB. Constitutional rights should be given to GB. Resolutions should be passed in the NA to entertained the people of GB. Proper rights should be given to the citizen of GB like the right to vote. Government attentions towards GB should be increase. At least half of the revenue got from GB should be spend inside the

region. Eliminate unemployment from the area. Develop the infrastructure of GB. Establish engineering and medical universities in GB or increase quotas

for students in the universities in other provinces. AJK type setup in GB Kargil Road should be open for trade and transportation.


Conclusion Gilgit Baltistan is the part of Pakistan. Its inhabitants

are very patriotic with Pakistan but some elements are also there which are causing nationalism in GB. This sense of nationalism could be convert in to patriotism only by the efforts of the state.

BNF is rising nationalist party of GB under the leadership of Nawaz naji as peaceful party

Nawaz naji is elected as member of GBLA 2014 Mudi talk about GB and Baluchistan in his speech that

“my followers are their in GB” After that law enforcement agencies of Pak take

action in Gilgit and arrested some nationalist leaders.


Conclusion CPEC is big issue of Pakistan because

BNF talk about rights and representation in CPEC.

If the Govt won’t pay attention towards to people of GB then there will be much more chances that they will move towards to insurgence or militancy

Education

A case study of balawaristan movement (bnf