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by Ali Ashraf Khan
It was in 1974 that the
then Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was going to
confer constitutional status on the Northern Area’s and declare it
as the 5th Province. A half hearted attempt has now been made and a
federal government official is posted as the so-called Chief
Secretary, while the area is still administered by the Federal
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Affairs.
During the rule of General
Ziaul Haq, quite a few committees were notified to recommend the
constitutional status for Northern Area’s. A committee headed by
Ijlal Haider Ziadi could not make any firm recommendations because the
Punjabi Members wanted Northern Area’s to be attached to Punjab
Province, while Abdul Wahid, Member Secretary of this committee
resigned on this issue that people of Northern Area’s wanted to be
merged with Punjab, this has never been a fact and is not even now.
Mr. Z. A. Bhutto was
assisted by Mr. Bach on this and he advised the Prime Minister to let
Northern Area remain a disputed subject linked with Kashmir issue so
that at the time of plebiscite, so that the votes of Northern Area
would be a bonus for Pakistan. To say the least, this is a
shortsighted view of Mr. Bach and a travesty of facts of the history
of Northern Area’s. The moot question should have been whether or
not Pakistan is sure of its ground in Kashmir? If the fate of Kashmir
is left in the hands of Kashmiris, as it should, and this is what
Self-Determination means, are we not sure that they are going to
become a province of Pakistan. By banking on the votes of Northern
Areas, are we oblivious of the fact that struggle with India may end
up with Kashmir’s struggle against Pakistan.
It is high time that
Northern areas be declared as 5th province of Pakistan and Kashmir as
and when the dispute is solved and is declared as a part of Pakistan
will become the 6th province.
The Northern areas is a
self liberated area since 1st November 1947 under the heroic
leadership of Col. Hassan Khan with their own Independent government
called The Frontier Government of Gilgit with Raja Shah Rais Khan as
its first President, which later signed and accord called Karachi
Declaration and acceded to Pakistan and the pity is that because of
the short sighted and unimaginative policies of our rulers, this
beautiful land is still administered under the frontier crimes
regulation of the British Raj by a so-called administration of a Chief
Secretary and the Northern area Council with a powerless Dy. Chief
Executive to boot.
The report is that about a
hundred persons including the Chief Editor of Weekly K-2 are dubbed as
traitors and rotting in Pakistan jail. These people who have
contributed to Pakistan’s victory in Kargil which we lost
negotiation table in Washington accord on 4th July 1999. The moot
point is why Northern areas is still ruled by the laws of the dark
ages of Frontier Crimes Regulation or alike which led to the fall of
the Roman Empire, which God forbid may lead to the fall of Musalmans
if we do not bring a change in our attitude towards governance.
It would not be out of
place to mention here the gallantry spirit of the people of Northern
areas which is recorded in the book “ Gilgit Before 1947 “ written
by Brigadier Ghansara Sing the last Dogra Governor who was captured by
the famous Gilgit Scouts on 1st November 1947, he writes “ As I had
ordered Lt. Col. Abdul Majid Khan on 31st October 1947 to reach Gilgit
immediately, so I was expecting him at any time as he was one of our
loyal servants. Had he reached Gilgit as ordered the picture might
have been different, but to our misfortune, Captain Hassan Khan of 6th
J&K Infantry instead reached Gilgit same morning.” With this
past record of patriotism and gallantry these men of Northern areas do
not deserve the treatment being meted out to them for a whimsical
political gain, the bird in hand is worth two in the bush, Pakistan
should be sure of its ground in Kashmir.
It is time now that the
provincial government of northern area give whatever name to it be
established with all powers which the other provincial governors
enjoy. They should take notice of the mismanagement and excesses
meted out to the people of Northern areas and redress their
grievances before they rightly demand a public apology also, they
have suffered much more than enough during the last more than half a
century of Pakistan.
Mr. Ali Ashraf Khan is a
Pakistani Businessman and Ex-Politician who bid good bye to politics in
order to concentrate on more useful service benefit of the political
intrigues prevalent in the National Political life of Pakistan. He
frequently writes for English and Urdu newspapers in Pakistan.
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Source:
by the same author:
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