By Shafqat Ali Inqalabi
Gilgit Baltistan has always been the epicenter for tourist's world wide and millions of tourists and nature lovers used to turn to the region annually. The region having the junction of world's three great mountains ranges attracted a number of tourists. worlds highest peaks as k2, Nanga Parbat, Rakaposhi, Biafo, Hisper, hidden peak and broad peak were challenges for adventurers while valleys as Hunza valley, Fairy Medos, Shandur, Rama Lake, Kharpocho lake and Shangrilla lake were attracting nature lovers while cultural dishes and worlds unique culture and tradition attracted thousands of tourists from Europe and other western countries persuaded tourists and the remnants of Buddha and other historical places served as shrine for Buddhism,
Due to arrival of tourists in the region the tourism industry was earning millions of dollars if not hundreds. Due to lack of constitutional and political status the tourism industry has been deprived of the attention that it deserved and it was literally orphanage while the local stake holders of tourism got loan from banks and set out for the development of this sector on there own by setting up adventure companies, hotels and motels while the local labor in the form of porters used to get there income from the tourism industry besides setting up transport companies and this way thousands of lives changed due to tourism industry and the stake holders succeeded in returning there loans.
Then came the carnage of nine eleven and changed map of the world. This incident of America on one hand demolished innocent lives in Afghanistan and Pakistan's tribal belt while on the other hand due to misinterpretation of the name of Gilgit Baltistan it caused a heavy loss to the tourism industry resulting in the economic massacre of thousands of lives of the region.
After nine eleven when Jalal Abad, Qandahar and Pakistan's tribal belt became epicenter of media along with NATO forces at the same time the unnatural name imposed by the non local masters on Gilgit Baltistan became a hot dog for worlds leading news channels as BBC and CNN.
due to wrong polices of General Zia Ul Haq the tribal belts had became a hot bed for Islamic fundamentalists and terror fanatics but worlds leading channels started mingling Gilgit Baltistan with the war inflicted tribal belt and said the northern areas of Pakistan serves as a base camp for Al-Qaida and Taliban operatives and to rub salt into the wounds pentagon in its briefing even considered military action in northern areas in order to bust off Taliban and Al-Qaida operatives and said the operatives there are planning for an attack greater than nine eleven in America. But nobody was bothered to undue the misconception of international media and west not even
Pakistan's ever increasing electronic and print media. governments of America and Europe in order to safe guard the liberties and safety of its citizens advised them not to travel in these regions and special task forces were set up in foreign embassies to persuade citizens of Europe to avoid the region and governments of these countries said they wont be responsible for any loss if there citizens travel to northern areas even the Pakistani media referred to the tribal areas as northern areas and the earth quake that hit regions of Pakistani controlled Kashmir was referred to as northern areas. This misinterpretation of Gilgit Baltistan has been dismantled to such an extent that it will take years to eradicate it.
In such circumstances those who had taken loans from banks after 2005 in order to set up hotels and other tourism related business came under heavy burden of loans and the stake holders of tourism department were already at odds. There investments of millions went bankrupt and they were not even able to pay there installments.
Neither there is any sign of terrorist operatives nor does the region plans to attack America or the west. It all happened due to the misconception that the name Gilgit Baltistan was misunderstood as northern areas and this misconception led to the economic massacre of thousands of lives and only implementation of the historical name can save us from the economic massacre.
The region at a time was known as Dardistan, while till a long time it was known as Balor and today's nationalist parties give the name Gilgit Baltistan, Balawaristan, Karakurum and Balor to the region. How the region did came to known as northern areas? To find an answer to this question we need to turn the pages of history. Our political leaders are of the view that the region was named as northern areas after the illegal occupation of
Pakistan but facts hidden under the pages of history ravel something different. the Dogars after conquering the region named it as there third northern province and named it northern areas but direction dose not make any logic to name a region but a region can only be named on the foundations of historical background. the forceful state of maharaja was comprised of three provinces i.e. Jammu, Waadi and the third northern province which after the war of 1947 the people had named the region as Gilgit Baltistan which lasted only for 16 days and after which the region came under illegal control of Pakistan and was named as northern areas. the word northern areas was embedded just to hide the illegal status of the region from tourists world wide but fact of the matter is that Balakot, Mansehra, Batgram, Swat and Bisham forms northern part of Pakistan.
Foreign tourists did not differentiated between the constitutional status of the region and this too was taken as Pakistan's federally administrated tribal areas. After nine eleven world community feared that the region as being part of the federally administrated areas and may hold hot beds for terrorists and Al-Qaida operatives and advised there citizens not to travel in these regions and thus started miseries of the region. The region is associated with Kashmir dispute and its fate is yet to be decided. If the regions name remains unchanged it may create a lot of problems for the region.
Today in the name of northern areas the regions is economically slaughtered and tomorrow like Bajur and Waziristan the region will be target of American spy planes.
It is indispensable to rename the region as this condition and to attract tourist's world wide. It may provide our region with an opportunity to revive its financial and economic conditions. If the tourism industry is not revived mass of the region will be facing economic and financial obstacles it is the duty of every citizen of the region to accept and stand with every initiative no mater how small to amend the name of the region and get rid of the problems we are facing. I appeal to the intelligentsia of the region to stand united and support such steps that can prove mile stone in the long journey of independence.
Finally under the leadership of Fida Muhammad Nashad the committee formed to propose a name for the region came with an agreed to all name. after presentation of the committees proposals in the assembly speaker Malik Miskeen invited a session of open debate in which all members present in the session agreed with the name Gilgit Baltistan except Dr. Muzafar Rally who voted in favor of Karakuram but in the end accepting norms of democracy he announced to unanimously agree with the proposed name Gilgit Baltistan.
This stance of the assembly in its last year in office is a good omen and it becomes responsibility of every citizen of the region to support this stance of the assembly. This name should be agreed at in such conditions and under control of
Islamabad we cannot expect historical name as Boloristan. At this time if this name is approved from kana division it will be a great success although some people are of the opinion that the name will be implemented at once which is not as easy as we think it to be.
The so called legislative assembly needs to prepare for an alternate way if they fail to approve this resolution from kana division as this resolution will test there mantle. If this time too the name approved by 36 members goes into the bin by a mere section officer they won't be able to face the public. The nationalist parties too should accept this name as this also serves as a step for the success of there movements. If this time too the collective efforts of the assembly are not considered worth implementation by the kana division they should collectively resign from the assembly and sit among the mass which will add the confidence of mass in them. If this resolution is implemented it will be good than nothing but if the region remains northern areas than one should prepare to face the bombings of NATO forces.
Note.
The above article was published by weekly bang e sahar karachi in 2008 in urdu version
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