Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan (Urdu: ‫ﻠﺘ ْﺴﺘﺎن‬

ِ ‫ﻠﮕﺖ َﺑ‬
ِ ‫ ِﮔ‬,[11]
Balti: ལ་ད་ ་ལ།), formerly known as the
Northern Areas,[12] is a region
administered by Pakistan as an
administrative territory, and constitutes the
northern portion of the larger Kashmir
region, which has been the subject of a
dispute between India and Pakistan since
1947, and between India and China since
somewhat later.[13] It is the northernmost
area administered by Pakistan.[14] It
borders Azad Kashmir to the south, the
province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the
west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan
to the north, the Xinjiang region of China,
to the east and northeast, and the Indian-
administered union territories Jammu and
Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast.
 Gilgit-Baltistan
‫ﻠﮕﺖ َﺑ ِﻠﺘﺴﺘﺎن‬
ِ ‫ِﮔ‬
ལ་ད་ ་ལ།

Region administered by Pakistan as an

administrative territory
 Attabad Lake, K2

A map of the disputed Kashmir region with

the two Pakistani-administered areas shown
in green

Coordinates: 35.35°N 75.9°E

Administering Pakistan
Country
Established 1 November 1948

Capital Gilgit

Largest city Skardu[1]

Government[4]

 • Type de facto province

 • Body Government of Gilgit-

Baltistan

 • Governor Raja Jalal Hussain

Maqpoon

 • Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid

 • Chief Secretary Muhammad Khuram
Aga[2]

 • Legislature Legislative assembly

 • High Court Gilgit-Baltistan

Supreme Appellate
Court[3]

Area

 • Total 72,971 km2
(28,174 sq mi)

  [5]

Population (2013)[6][7]
 • Total 1,249,000
 • Density 17/km2 (44/sq mi)

Time zone UTC+05:00 (PST)

ISO 3166 code PK-GB

Languages Balti, Shina, Wakhi,

Burushaski, Khowar,
Domaki, Urdu
(administrative)

HDI (2018) 0.593 [8]

Medium

Assembly seats 33[9]

Divisions 3
Districts 14[10]
Tehsils 28

Website gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk

Gilgit-Baltistan is part of the greater

Kashmir region, which is the subject of a
long-running conflict between Pakistan
and India. The territory shares a border
with Azad Kashmir, together with which it
is referred to by the United Nations and
other international organisations as
"Pakistan administered Kashmir".[note 1]
Gilgit-Baltistan is six times the size of
Azad Kashmir.[19] The territory also
borders Indian-administered union
territories Jammu and Kashmir and
Ladakh to the south, and is separated from
them by the Line of Control, the de facto
border between India and Pakistan.

The territory of present-day Gilgit-Baltistan

became a separate administrative unit in
1970 under the name "Northern Areas". It
was formed by the amalgamation of the
former Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan district
and several small former princely states,
the largest of which were Hunza and
Nagar.[20] In 2009, it was granted limited
autonomy and renamed Gilgit-Baltistan
through the Self-Governance Order signed
by President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari,
intended to also empower the people of
Gilgit-Baltistan. However, scholars state
that the real power rests with the governor
and not with the chief minister or elected
assembly.[21][22] Much of the population of
Gilgit-Baltistan wants it to become a fifth
province of Pakistan and opposes
integration with Kashmir.[23][24] The
Pakistani government has rejected Gilgit-
Baltistani calls for provincial status on the
grounds that granting it would jeopardise
its demands for the entire Kashmir issue
to be resolved according to UN
resolutions.[25] However, in November
2020, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan
announced that Gilgit-Baltistan would
attain provisional provincial status after
the 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly
election, a long-standing demand of the
people of Gilgit-Baltistan.[26][27][28]

Gilgit-Baltistan covers an area of over

72,971 km2 (28,174 sq mi)[5] and is highly
mountainous. It had an estimated
population of 1.249 million in 2013[6][7]
(estimated as 1.8 million in 2015 by
Shahid Javed Burki (2015)). Its capital city
is Gilgit (population 216,760 est). Gilgit-
Baltistan is home to five of the "eight-
thousanders" and has more than fifty
peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft).
Three of the world's longest glaciers
outside the polar regions are found in
Gilgit-Baltistan. The main tourism
activities are trekking and mountaineering,
and this industry is growing in importance.

Early history

Photograph of Kargah Buddha in Gilgit; "The ancient

 g p g g ;
Stupa – rock carvings of Buddha, everywhere in the
region, point to the firm hold of Buddhism for such a
long time."[29]

The rock carvings found in various places

in Gilgit-Baltistan, especially in the Passu
village of Hunza, suggest a human
presence since 2000 BC.[30] Within the
next few centuries of human settlement on
the Tibetan plateau, this region became
inhabited by Tibetans, who preceded the
Balti people of Baltistan. Today Baltistan
bears similarity to Ladakh physically and
culturally (although not in religion). Dards
are found mainly in the western areas.
These people are the Shina-speaking
peoples of Gilgit, Chilas, Astore and
Diamir, while in Hunza and the upper
regions, Burushaski and Khowar speakers
predominate. The Dards find mention in
the works of Herodotus,[note 2] Nearchus,
Megasthenes, Pliny,[note 3] Ptolemy,[note 4]
and the geographical lists of the
Puranas.[31] In the 1st century, the people
of these regions were followers of the Bon
religion while in the 2nd century, they
practiced Buddhism.

Between 399 and 414, the Chinese

Buddhist pilgrim Faxian visited Gilgit-
Baltistan.[32] In the 6th century Somana
Palola (greater Gilgit-Chilas) was ruled by
an unknown king. Between 627 and 645,
the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang
travelled through this region on his
pilgrimage to India.
According to Chinese records from the
Tang dynasty, between the 600s and the
700s, the region was governed by a
Buddhist dynasty referred to as Bolü
(Chinese: 勃律; pinyin: bólǜ), also
transliterated as Palola, Patola, Balur.[33]
They are believed to have been the Palola
Sāhi dynasty mentioned in a Brahmi
inscription,[34] and devout adherents of
Vajrayana Buddhism.[35] At the time, Little
Palola (Chinese: 小勃律) was used to refer
to Gilgit, while Great Palola (Chinese: 大勃
律) was used to refer to Baltistan.
However, the records do not consistently
disambiguate the two.

Map of Tibetan Empire citing the areas of Gilgit-

Baltistan as part of its kingdom in 780–790 CE

In mid-600s, Gilgit came under Chinese

suzerainty after the fall of the Western
Turkic Khaganate to Tang military
campaigns in the region. In the late 600s
CE, the rising Tibetan Empire wrestled
control of the region from the Chinese.
However, faced with growing influence of
the Umayyad Caliphate and then the
Abbasid Caliphate to the west, the
Tibetans were forced to ally themselves
with the Islamic caliphates. The region
was then contested by Chinese and
Tibetan forces, and their respective vassal
states, until the mid-700s.[36] Rulers of
Gilgit formed an alliance with the Tang
Chinese, and held back the Arabs with
their help.[37]

Between 644 and 655, Navasurendrāditya-

nandin became king of the Palola Sāhi
dynasty in Gilgit.[38] Numerous Sanskrit
inscriptions, including the Danyor Rock
Inscriptions, were discovered to be from
his reign.[39] In the late 600s and early
700s, Jayamaṅgalavikramāditya-nandin
was king of Gilgit.[38]
According to Chinese court records, in 717
and 719 respectively, delegations of a ruler
of Great Palola (Baltistan) named Su-fu-
she-li-ji-li-ni (Chinese: 蘇弗舍利支離泥;
pinyin: sūfúshèlìzhīlíní) reached the
Chinese imperial court.[40][41] By at least
719/720, Ladakh (Mard) became part of
the Tibetan Empire. By that time,
Buddhism was practised in Baltistan, and
Sanskrit was the written language.

In 720, the delegation of Surendrāditya

(Chinese: 蘇麟陀逸之; pinyin: sūlíntuóyìzhī)
reached the Chinese imperial court. He
was referred to in Chinese records as the
king of Great Palola; however, it is
unknown if Baltistan was under Gilgit rule
at the time.[42] The Chinese emperor also
granted the ruler of Cashmere,
Chandrāpīḍa ("Tchen-fo-lo-pi-li"), the title of
"King of Cashmere". By 721/722, Baltistan
had come under the influence of the
Tibetan Empire.[43]

In 721–722, the Tibetan army attempted

but failed to capture Gilgit or Bruzha (Yasin
valley). By this time, according to Chinese
records, the king of Little Palola was Mo-
ching-mang (Chinese: 沒謹忙; pinyin:
méijǐnmáng). He had visited the Tang court
requesting military assistance against the
Tibetans.[42] Between 723 and 728, the
Korean Buddhist pilgrim Hyecho passed
through this area. In 737/738, Tibetan
troops under the leadership of Minister Bel
Kyesang Dongtsab of Emperor Me Agtsom
took control of Little Palola. By 747, the
Chinese army under the leadership of the
ethnic-Korean commander Gao Xianzhi
had recaptured Little Palola.[44] Great
Palola was subsequently captured by the
Chinese army in 753 under military
Governor Feng Changqing. However, by
755, due to the An Lushan rebellion, the
Tang Chinese forces withdrew and were
no longer able to exert influence in Central
Asia or in the regions around Gilgit-
Baltistan.[45] The control of the region was
left to the Tibetan Empire. They referred to
the region as Bruzha, a toponym that is
consistent with the ethnonym "Burusho"
used today. Tibetan control of the region
lasted until late-800s CE.[46]

Turkic tribes practising Zoroastrianism

arrived in Gilgit during the 7th century, and
founded the Trakhan dynasty in Gilgit.[37]

Medieval history
In the 14th century, Sufi Muslim preachers
from Persia and Central Asia introduced
Islam in Baltistan. Famous amongst them
was Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, who came
through Kashmir[47] while in the Gilgit
region Islam entered in the same century
through Turkic Tarkhan rulers. Gilgit-
Baltistan was ruled by many local rulers,
amongst whom the Maqpon dynasty of
Skardu and the Rajas of Hunza were
famous. The Maqpons of Skardu unified
Gilgit-Baltistan with Chitral and Ladakh,
especially in the era of Ali Sher Khan
Anchan[48] who had friendly relations with
the Mughal court.[49] Anchan's reign
brought prosperity and entertained art,
sport, and variety in architecture. He
introduced polo to the Gilgit region, and
sent a group of musicians from Chitral to
Delhi to learn Indian music; Mughal
architecture influenced the architecture of
the region as well under his reign.[50] Later
Anchan in his successors Abdal Khan had
great influence though in the popular
literature of Baltistan, where he is still alive
as a dark figure by the nickname "Mizos",
"man-eater". The last Maqpon Raja, Ahmed
Shah, ruled all of Baltistan between 1811
and 1840. The areas of Gilgit, Chitral and
Hunza had already become independent of
the Maqpons.

Before the demise of Shribadat, a group of

Shina people migrated from Gilgit
Dardistan and settled in the Dras and
Kharmang areas. The descendants of
those Dardic people can be still found
today, and are believed to have maintained
their Dardic culture and Shina language up
to the present time.
Modern history

Dogra rule

The last Maqpon Raja Ahmed Shah (died in prison in

Lhasa[51] c. 1845)
In November 1839, Dogra commander
Zorawar Singh, whose allegiance was to
Gulab Singh, started his campaign against
Baltistan.[52] By 1840 he conquered Skardu
and captured its ruler, Ahmad Shah.
Ahmad Shah was then forced to
accompany Zorawar Singh on his raid into
Western Tibet. Meanwhile, Baghwan Singh
was appointed as administrator (thanadar)
in Skardu. But in the following year, Ali
Khan of Rondu, Haidar Khan of Shigar and
Daulat Ali Khan from Khaplu led a
successful uprising against the Dogras in
Baltistan and captured the Dogra
commander Baghwan Singh in Skardu.[53]

In 1842, Dogra Commander Wasir Lakhpat,

with the active support of Ali Sher Khan
(III) from Kartaksho, conquered Baltistan
for the second time. There was a violent
capture of the fortress of Kharphocho.
Haidar Khan from Shigar, one of the
leaders of the uprising against the
Dogras,[54] was imprisoned and died in
captivity. Gosaun was appointed as
administrator (Thanadar) of Baltistan and
till 1860, the entire region of Gilgit-
Baltistan was under the Sikhs and then the
Dogras.[55][56]

After the defeat of the Sikhs in the First

Anglo-Sikh War, the region became a part
of the Jammu and Kashmir princely state,
which since 1846 had remained under the
rule of the Dogras. The population in Gilgit
perceived itself as ethnically different from
Kashmiris and disliked being ruled by the
Kashmir state.[57] The region remained
with the princely state, with temporary
leases of some areas assigned to the
British, until 1 November 1947.

First Kashmir War

After Pakistan's independence, Jammu

and Kashmir initially remained an
independent state. Later on 22 October
1947, tribal militias backed by Pakistan
crossed the border into Jammu and
Kashmir.[58][59] Local tribal militias and the
Pakistani armed forces moved to take
Srinagar but on reaching Uri they
encountered defensive forces. Hari Singh
made a plea to India for assistance and
signed the Instrument of Accession.

Gilgit's population did not favour the

State's accession to India.[60] The Muslims
of the Frontier Districts Province (modern
day Gilgit-Baltistan) had wanted to join
Pakistan.[61] Sensing their discontent,
Major William Brown, the Maharaja's
commander of the Gilgit Scouts, mutinied
on 1 November 1947, overthrowing the
governor, Ghansara Singh. The bloodless
coup d'état was planned by Brown to the
last detail under the code name "Datta
Khel", which was also joined by a
rebellious section of the Jammu and
Kashmir 6th Infantry under Mirza Hassan
Khan. Brown ensured that the treasury
was secured and minorities were
protected. A provisional government (Aburi
Hakoomat) was established by the Gilgit
locals with Raja Shah Rais Khan as the
president and Mirza Hassan Khan as the
commander-in-chief. However, Major
Brown had already telegraphed Khan
Abdul Qayyum Khan asking Pakistan to
take over. The Pakistani political agent,
Khan Mohammad Alam Khan, arrived on
16 November and took over the
administration of Gilgit.[62][63] Brown
outmaneuvered the pro-Independence
group and secured the approval of the
mirs and rajas for accession to Pakistan.
Browns's actions surprised the British
Government.[64] According to Brown,

Alam replied [to the locals],

"you are a crowd of fools led
astray by a madman. I shall not
tolerate this nonsense for one
instance... And when the Indian
Army starts invading you there
will be no use screaming to
Pakistan for help, because you
won't get it."... The provisional
 government faded away after
this encounter with Alam Khan,
clearly reflecting the flimsy and
opportunistic nature of its basis
and support.[65]

The provisional government lasted 16

days. The provisional government lacked
sway over the population. The Gilgit
rebellion did not have civilian involvement
and was solely the work of military
leaders, not all of whom had been in
favour of joining Pakistan, at least in the
short term. Historian Ahmed Hasan Dani
says that although there had been a lack
of public participation in the rebellion, pro-
Pakistan sentiments were intense in the
civilian population and their anti-Kashmiri
sentiments were also clear.[66] According
to various scholars, the people of Gilgit as
well as those of Chilas, Koh Ghizr,
Ishkoman, Yasin, Punial, Hunza and Nagar
joined Pakistan by choice.[67][68][69][70][71]
After taking control of Gilgit, the Gilgit
Scouts along with Azad irregulars moved
towards Baltistan and Ladakh and
captured Skardu by May 1948. They
successfully blocked Indian
reinforcements and subsequently
captured Dras and Kargil as well, cutting
off Indian communications to Leh in
Ladakh. Indian forces mounted an
offensive in the autumn of 1948 and
recaptured all of Kargil district. Baltistan,
however, came under Gilgit control.[72][73]
On 1 January 1948, India took the issue of
Jammu and Kashmir to the United Nations
Security Council. In April 1948, the Council
passed a resolution calling for Pakistan to
withdraw from all of Jammu and Kashmir
and for India to reduce its forces to the
minimum level, following which a
plebiscite would be held to ascertain the
people's wishes.[74] However, no
withdrawal was ever carried out, since
India insisting that Pakistan had to
withdraw first and Pakistan contending
that there was no guarantee that India
would withdraw afterwards.[75] Gilgit-
Baltistan and a western portion of the
state called Azad Jammu and Kashmir
have remained under the control of
Pakistan ever since.[76]

Inside Pakistan

While the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan

expressed a desire to join Pakistan after
gaining independence from Maharaja Hari
Singh, Pakistan declined to merge the
region into itself because of the territory's
link to Jammu and Kashmir.[70] For a short
period after joining Pakistan, Gilgit-
Baltistan was governed by Azad Kashmir if
only "theoretically, but not practically"
through its claim of being an alternative
government for Jammu and Kashmir.[77] In
1949, the Government of Azad Kashmir
handed administration of the area to the
federal government under the Karachi
Agreement, on an interim basis which
gradually assumed permanence.
According to Indian journalist Paul Sahni,
this is seen as an effort by Pakistan to
legitimise its rule over Gilgit-Baltistan.[78]

There were two reasons why

administration was transferred from Azad
Kashmir to Pakistan:

1. the region was inaccessible to Azad

Kashmir and
2. because both the governments of
Azad Kashmir and Pakistan knew
 that the people of the region were in
favour of joining Pakistan in a
potential referendum over Kashmir's
final status.[70]

According to the International Crisis

Group, the Karachi Agreement is highly
unpopular in Gilgit-Baltistan because
Gilgit-Baltistan was not a party to it even
while it was its own fate was being
decided.[79]
From then until the 1990s, Gilgit-Baltistan
was governed through the colonial-era
Frontier Crimes Regulations, which treated
tribal people as "barbaric and uncivilised,"
levying collective fines and
punishments.[80][81] People had no right to
legal representation or appeal.[82][81]
Members of tribes had to obtain prior
permission from the police to travel
anywhere, and had to keep the police
informed about their movements.[83][84]
There was no democratic set-up for Gilgit-
Baltistan during this period. All political
and judicial powers remained in the hands
of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and
Northern Areas (KANA). The people of
Gilgit-Baltistan were deprived of rights
enjoyed by citizens of Pakistan and Azad
Kashmir.[85]

A primary reason for this state of affairs

was the remoteness of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Another factor was that the whole of
Pakistan itself was deficient in democratic
norms and principles, therefore the federal
government did not prioritise democratic
development in the region. There was also
a lack of public pressure as an active civil
society was absent in the region, with
young educated residents usually opting to
live in Pakistan's urban centers instead of
staying in the region.[85]

In 1970 the two parts of the territory, viz.,

the Gilgit Agency and Baltistan, were
merged into a single administrative unit,
and given the name "Northern Areas".[86]
The Shaksgam tract was ceded by
Pakistan to China following the signing of
the Sino-Pakistani Frontier Agreement in
1963.[87][88] In 1969, a Northern Areas
Advisory Council (NAAC) was created,
later renamed to Northern Areas Council
(NAC) in 1974 and Northern Areas
Legislative Council (NALC) in 1994. But it
was devoid of legislative powers. All law-
making was concentrated in the KANA
Ministry of Pakistan. In 1994, a Legal
Framework Order (LFO) was created by the
KANA Ministry to serve as the de facto
constitution for the region.[89][90]

In 1984 the territory's importance shot up

on the domestic level with the opening of
the Karakoram Highway and the region's
population became more connected to
mainland Pakistan. With the improved
connectivity, the local population availed
itself of educational opportunities in the
rest of Pakistan.[91] Improved connectivity
also allowed the political parties of
Pakistan and Azad Kashmir to set up local
branches, raise political awareness in the
region, and these Pakistani political
parties have played a 'laudable role' in
organising a movement for democratic
rights among the residents of Gilgit-
Baltistan.[85]

In the late 1990s, the President of Al-Jihad

Trust filed a petition in the Supreme Court
of Pakistan to determine the legal status
of Gilgit-Baltistan. In its judgement of 28
May 1999, the Court directed the
Government of Pakistan to ensure the
provision of equal rights to the people of
Gilgit-Baltistan, and gave it six months to
do so. Following the Supreme Court
decision, the government took several
steps to devolve power to the local level.
However, in several policy circles, the point
was raised that the Pakistani government
was helpless to comply with the court
verdict because of the strong political and
sectarian divisions in Gilgit-Baltistan and
also because of the territory's historical
connection with the still disputed Kashmir
region, and that this prevented the
determination of Gilgit-Baltistan's real
status.[92]

A position of 'Deputy Chief Executive' was

created to act as the local administrator,
but the real powers still rested with the
'Chief Executive', who was the Federal
Minister of KANA. "The secretaries were
more powerful than the concerned
advisors," in the words of one
commentator. In spite of various reforms
packages over the years, the situation is
essentially unchanged.[93] Meanwhile,
public rage in Gilgit-Baltistan is "growing
alarmingly." Prominent "antagonist groups"
have mushroomed protesting the absence
of civic rights and democracy.[94] The
Pakistani government has debated
granting provincial status to Gilgit-
Baltistan.[95]

According to Antia Mato Bouzas, the PPP-

led Pakistani government has attempted a
compromise through its 2009 reforms
between its traditional stand on the
Kashmir dispute and the demands of
locals, most of whom may have pro-
Pakistan sentiments. While the 2009
reforms have added to the self-
identification of the region, they have not
resolved the constitutional status of the
region within Pakistan.[96]

The people of Gilgit-Baltistan want to

merge into Pakistan as a separate fifth
province,[23][24] however, leaders of Azad
Kashmir are opposed to any step to
integrate Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan.[97]
The people of Gilgit-Baltistan oppose any
integration with Kashmir and instead want
Pakistani citizenship and constitutional
status for their region.[23][24]

Gilgit-Baltistan has been a member state

of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples
Organization since 2008.[98]

In September 2020, Pakistan decided to

elevate Gilgit-Baltistan's status to that of a
full-fledged province.[99]
Government
The territory of present-day Gilgit-Baltistan
became a separate administrative unit in
1970 under the name "Northern Areas". It
was formed by the amalgamation of the
former Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan District
of the Ladakh Wazarat and the hill states
of Hunza and Nagar. It presently consists
of fourteen districts,[10][100] has a
population approaching one million and an
area of approximately 73,000 square
kilometres (28,000 square miles), and
shares borders with Pakistan, China,
Afghanistan, and India. In 1993, an
attempt was made by the High Court of
Azad Jammu and Kashmir to annex Gilgit-
Baltistan but was quashed by the Supreme
Court of Pakistan after protests by the
locals of Gilgit-Baltistan, who feared
domination by the Kashmiris.[25]

Government of Pakistan abolished State

Subject Rule in Gilgit-Baltistan in 1974,
which resulted in demographic changes in
the territory.[101][102] While administratively
controlled by Pakistan since the First
Kashmir War, Gilgit-Baltistan has never
been formally integrated into the Pakistani
state and does not participate in
Pakistan's constitutional political
affairs.[103][104] On 29 August 2009, the
Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-
Governance Order 2009, was passed by
the Pakistani cabinet and later signed by
the then President of Pakistan Asif Ali
Zardari.[105] The order granted self-rule to
the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, by creating,
among other things, an elected Gilgit-
Baltistan Legislative Assembly and Gilgit-
Baltistan Council. Gilgit-Baltistan thus
gained a de facto province-like status
without constitutionally becoming part of
Pakistan.[103][106] Currently, Gilgit-Baltistan
is neither a province nor a state. It has a
semi-provincial status.[107] Officially, the
Pakistan government has rejected Gilgit-
Baltistani calls for integration with
Pakistan on the grounds that it would
jeopardise its demands for the whole
Kashmir issue to be resolved according to
UN resolutions.[25] Some Kashmiri
nationalist groups, such as the Jammu
and Kashmir Liberation Front, claim Gilgit-
Baltistan as part of a future independent
state to match what existed in 1947.[25]
India, on the other hand, maintains that
Gilgit-Baltistan is a part of the former
princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that
is "an integral part of the country
[India]."[108]
The Gilgit-Baltistan Police (GBP) is
responsible for law enforcement in Gilgit-
Baltistan. The mission of the force is the
prevention and detection of crime,
maintenance of law and order and
enforcement of the Constitution of
Pakistan.

Regions
Gilgit-Baltistan is administered as three divisions

Fourteen districts in 2019

Gilgit-Baltistan is administratively divided

into three divisions: Baltistan, Diamer and
Gilgit,[109] which, in turn, are divided into
fourteen districts. The principal
administrative centers are the towns of
Gilgit and Skardu.
Division District Area (km2) Capital Population (2013)[110] Divisional Capital

Baltistan Ghanche 4,052 Khaplu 108,000 Skardu

Shigar 8,500 Shigar -

Kharmang 5,500 Kharmang -

Skardu 8,700 Skardu 305,000*

Roundu NA Dambudas NA

Gilgit Gilgit 14,672 Gilgit 222,000 Gilgit

Ghizer 9,635 Gahkuch 190,000

Hunza 7,900 Aliabad 70,000 (2015)[111]

Nagar 5,000 Nagar 51,387 (1998)[110]

Gupis–Yasin NA Phander? NA

Diamer Diamer 10,936 Chilas 214,000 Chilas

Astore 5,092 Eidghah 114,000

Darel NA Darel NA

Tangir NA Tangir NA

* Combined population of Skardu, Shigar,

Kharmang and Roundu districts. Shigar
and Kharmang Districts were carved out of
Skardu District after 1998. The estimated
population of Gilgit-Baltistan was about
1.8 million in 2015[20] and the overall
population growth rate between 1998 and
2011 was 63.1% making it 4.85%
annually.[112][113]

Security
Security in Gilgit-Baltistan is provided by
the Gilgit-Baltistan Police, the Gilgit
Baltistan Scouts (a paramilitary force), and
the Northern Light Infantry (part of the
Pakistani Army).
Geography and climate

Naltar Lakes

Naltar Lake or
Bashkiri Lake-I

Naltar Lake or
Bashkiri Lake-II
 Azure coloured
water of Naltar
Lake III

Surface elevation = 3050–3150 m

Gilgit-Baltistan borders Pakistan's Khyber

Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, a small
portion of the Wakhan Corridor of
Afghanistan to the north, China's Xinjiang
Uyghur Autonomous Region to the
northeast, the Indian-administered Jammu
and Kashmir to the southeast, and the
Pakistani-administered state of Azad
Jammu and Kashmir to the south.

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to all five of

Pakistan's "eight-thousanders" and to more
than fifty peaks above 7,000 metres
(23,000 ft). Gilgit and Skardu are the two
main hubs for expeditions to those
mountains. The region is home to some of
the world's highest mountain ranges. The
main ranges are the Karakoram and the
western Himalayas. The Pamir Mountains
are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to
the west. Amongst the highest mountains
are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga
Parbat, the latter being one of the most
feared mountains in the world.

Three of the world's longest glaciers

outside the polar regions are found in
Gilgit-Baltistan: the Biafo Glacier, the
Baltoro Glacier, and the Batura Glacier.
There are, in addition, several high-altitude
lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan:
Sheosar Lake in the Deosai Plains,
Skardu
Naltar lakes in the Naltar Valley, Gilgit
Satpara Tso Lake in Skardu, Baltistan
Katzura Tso Lake in Skardu, Baltistan
Zharba Tso Lake in Shigar, Baltistan
Phoroq Tso Lake in Skardu, Baltistan
Lake Kharfak in Gangche, Baltistan
Byarsa Tso Lake in Gultari, Astore
Borith Lake in Gojal, upper Hunza, Gilgit
Rama Lake near Astore
 Rush Lake near Nagar, Gilgit
Kromber Lake at Kromber Pass,
Ishkoman Valley, Ghizer District
Barodaroksh Lake in Bar Valley, Nagar
Ghorashi Lake in Ghandus Valley,
Kharmang

The Deosai Plains are located above the

tree line and constitute the second-highest
plateau in the world after Tibet, at 4,115
metres (13,501 ft). The plateau lies east of
Astore, south of Skardu and west of
Ladakh. The area was declared as a
national park in 1993. The Deosai Plains
cover an area of almost 5,000 square
kilometres (1,900 sq mi). For over half the
year (between September and May),
Deosai is snow-bound and cut off from
rest of Astore and Baltistan in winters. The
village of Deosai lies close to Chilum
chokki and is connected with the Kargil
district of Ladakh through an all-weather
road.
Satpara Lake, Skardu, in 2002
Upper Kachura Lake
Shangrila Lake, Skardu
 Manthokha Waterfall

Rock art and petroglyphs

There are more than 50,000 pieces of rock

art (petroglyphs) and inscriptions all along
the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan,
concentrated at ten major sites between
Hunza and Shatial. The carvings were left
by invaders, traders, and pilgrims who
passed along the trade route, as well as by
locals. The earliest date back to between
5000 and 1000 BCE, showing single
animals, triangular men and hunting
scenes in which the animals are larger
than the hunters. These carvings were
pecked into the rock with stone tools and
are covered with a thick patina that proves
their age.
The ethnologist Karl Jettmar has pieced
together the history of the area from
inscriptions and recorded his findings in
Rock Carvings and Inscriptions in the
Northern Areas of Pakistan[114] and the
later-released Between Gandhara and the
Silk Roads — Rock Carvings Along the
Karakoram Highway.[115] Many of these
carvings and inscriptions will be inundated
and/or destroyed when the planned Basha-
Diamir dam is built and the Karakoram
Highway is widened.
Climate

The climate of Gilgit-Baltistan varies from

region to region, since the surrounding
mountain ranges create sharp variations in
weather. The eastern part has the moist
zone of the western Himalayas, but going
toward Karakoram and Hindu Kush, the
climate gets considerably drier.[116]

There are towns like Gilgit and Chilas that

are very hot during the day in summer yet
cold at night and valleys like Astore,
Khaplu, Yasin, Hunza, and Nagar, where
the temperatures are cold even in
summer.[117]

Economy and resources

Montage of Gilgit-Baltistan

The economy of the region is primarily

based on a traditional trade route, the
historic Silk Road. The China Trade
Organization forum led the people of the
area to actively invest and learn modern
trade know-how from their Chinese
neighbour, Xinjiang. Later, the
establishment of a chamber of commerce
and the Sust dry port in Gojal Hunza are
milestones. The rest of the economy is
shouldered by mainly agriculture and
tourism. Agricultural products are wheat,
corn (maize), barley, and fruits. Tourism is
mostly in trekking and mountaineering,
and this industry is growing in
importance.[118][119]

In early September 2009, Pakistan signed

an agreement with the People's Republic
of China for a major energy project in
Gilgit-Baltistan which includes the
construction of a 7,000-megawatt dam at
Bunji in the Astore District.[106]
Mountaineering

View of Laila Peak, which is located near Hushe

Valley (a town in Khaplu)
The Trango Towers offer some of the largest cliffs
and most challenging rock climbing in the world, and

every year a number of expeditions from all corners

of the globe visit Karakoram to climb the challenging
granite.[120]

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to more than 20

peaks of over 6,100 metres (20,000 ft),
including K-2 the second highest mountain
on Earth.[121] Other well known peaks
include Masherbrum (also known as K1),
Broad Peak, Hidden Peak, Gasherbrum II,
Gasherbrum IV, and Chogolisa, situated in
Khaplu Valley. The following peaks have
so far been scaled by various expeditions:
 Name of Peak Photos Height First known ascent Location

1.K-2 (28,250Ft) 31 July 1954 Karakoram

2. Nanga Parbat (26,660 Ft) 3 July 1953 Himalaya

3. Gasherbrum I (26,360Ft) 7 July 1956 Karakoram

4. Broad Peak (26,550Ft) 9 June 1957 Karakoram

5. Muztagh Tower (23,800Ft) 6 August 1956 Karakoram

6. Gasherbrum II (26,120Ft) 4 July 1958 Karakoram

7. Hidden Peak (26,470Ft) 4 July 1957 Karakoram

8. Khunyang Chhish (25,761 Ft) 4 July 1971 Karakoram

9. Masherbrum (25,659 Ft) 4 August 1960 Karakoram

10. Saltoro Kangri (25,400Ft) 4 June 1962 Karakoram

11. Chogolisa (25,148 Ft) 4 August 1963 Karakoram

Tourism

Cold Desert, Skardu is the world's highest desert

Rush Lake, Nagar, Pakistan

Sheosar Lake is in the western part of Deosai

National Park
Gilgit Baltistan is the capital of tourism in
Pakistan. Gilgit Baltistan is home to some
of the highest peaks in the world, including
K2 the second highest peak in the world.
Gilgit Baltistan's landscape includes
mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys.
Gilgit Baltistan is not only known for its
mountains — it is also visited for its
landmarks, culture, history and people.[122]
K2 Basecamp, Deosai, Naltar, Fairy
Meadows Bagrot Valley and Hushe valley
are common places to visit in Gilgit
Baltistan.[123]

Transport

The Karakoram Highway

Before 1978, Gilgit-Baltistan was cut off
from the rest of the Pakistan and the world
due to the harsh terrain and the lack of
accessible roads. All of the roads to the
south opened toward the Pakistan-
administered state of Azad Kashmir and to
the southeast toward the present-day
Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
During the summer, people could walk
across the mountain passes to travel to
Rawalpindi. The fastest way to travel was
by air, but air travel was accessible only to
a few privileged local people and to
Pakistani military and civilian officials.
Then, with the assistance of the Chinese
government, Pakistan began construction
of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), which
was completed in 1978. The journey from
Rawalpindi / Islamabad to Gilgit takes
approximately 20 to 24 hours.

The Karakoram Highway connects

Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu, which are
the two major hubs for mountaineering
expeditions in Gilgit-Baltistan. Northern
Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO)
offers bus and jeep transport service to
the two hubs and several other popular
destinations, lakes, and glaciers in the
area. Landslides on the Karakoram
Highway are very common. The
Karakoram Highway connects Gilgit to
Tashkurgan Town, Kashgar, China via Sust,
the customs and health-inspection post on
the Gilgit-Baltistan side, and the Khunjerab
Pass, the highest paved international
border crossing in the world at 4,693
metres (15,397 ft).

In March 2006, the respective

governments announced that,
commencing on 1 June 2006, a thrice-
weekly bus service would begin across the
boundary from Gilgit to Kashgar and road-
widening work would begin at 600
kilometres (370 mi) of the Karakoram
Highway. There would also be one daily
bus in each direction between the Sust
and Taxkorgan border areas of the two
political entities.[124]

ATR 42–500 on Gilgit Airport. Picture taken on 10

July 2016

Pakistan International Airlines used to fly a

Fokker F27 Friendship daily between Gilgit
Airport and Benazir Bhutto International
Airport. The flying time was approximately
50 minutes, and the flight was one of the
most scenic in the world, as its route
passed over Nanga Parbat, a mountain
whose peak is higher than the aircraft's
cruising altitude. However, the Fokker F27
was retired after a crash at Multan in 2006.
Currently, flights are being operated by PIA
to Gilgit on the brand-new ATR 42–500,
which was purchased in 2006. With the
new plane, the cancellation of flights is
much less frequent. Pakistan International
Airlines also offers regular flights of a
Boeing 737 between Skardu and
Islamabad. All flights are subject to
weather clearance; in winter, flights are
often delayed by several days.

A railway through the region has been

proposed; see Khunjerab Railway for
details.

Population

Demographics
The population of Gilgit Baltistan is
1,492,000 now and it was 873,000 in
1998.[125] Approximately 14% of the
population was urban.[126] The estimated
population of Gilgit-Baltistan in 2013 was
1.249 million.[6][7] The population of Gilgit-
Baltistan consists of many diverse
linguistic, ethnic, and religious sects, due
in part to the many isolated valleys
separated by some of the world's highest
mountains. The ethnic groups include
Shins, Yashkuns, Kashmiris, Kashgaris,
Pamiris, Pathans, and Kohistanis.[127] A
significant number of people from Gilgit-
Baltistan are residing in other parts of
Pakistan, mainly in Punjab and Karachi.
The literacy rate of Gilgit-Baltistan is
approximately 72%.

In 2017 census, Gilgit District has the

highest population of 330,000 and Hunza
District the lowest of 50,000.[125]

Languages
Gilgit-Baltistan is a multilingual region
where Urdu being a national and official
language serves as the lingua franca for
inter ethnic communications. English is
co-official and also used in education,
while Arabic is used for religious
purposes. The table below shows a break-
up of Gilgit-Baltistan first-language
speakers.
Rank Language Detail[128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135]

It is a Dardic language spoken by the majority in six tehsils (Gilgit,

1 Shina
Diamir/Chilas, Darel/Tangir, Astore, Puniyal/Gahkuch and Rondu).

It is spoken by the majority in five tehsils (Skardu/Shigar, Kharmang, Gultari,

2 Balti Khaplu and Mashabrum). It is from the Tibetan language family and has
Urdu borrowings.

It is spoken by the majority in four tehsils (Nagar 1, Hunza/Aliabad, Nagar II,

3 Burushaski and Yasin). It is a language isolate that has borrowed considerable Urdu
vocabulary.

It is spoken by the majority in two tehsils (Gupis and Ishkomen) but also
4 Khowar spoken in Yasin and Puniyal/Gahkuch Tehsils. Like Shina, it is a Dardic
language.

It is spoken by the majority of people in Gojal Tehsil of Hunza. But it is also

5 Wakhi spoken in the Yasin and Ishkomen tehsils of Gupis-Yasin and Ghizer
districts. It is classified as eastern Iranian/ Pamiri language.

Pashto, Kashmiri, Domaaki (spoken by musician clans in the region) and

Others
Gojri languages are also spoken by a significant population of the region.

Religion
 Sectarian divide of Gilgit-Baltistan[136]
Sects Percent
Shia   39.85%
Sunni   30.05%
Ismaili   24%
Noorbakhshis 6.1%

The population of Gilgit-Baltistan is

entirely Muslim and is denominationally
the most diverse in the country. The region
is also the only Shia-plurality area in an
otherwise Sunni-dominant Pakistan.[137]
People in the Skardu district are mostly
Shia, while Diamir and Astore districts
have Sunni majorities. Ghanche has a
Noorbakhshi population, and Ghizar has
an Ismaili majority.[138] The populations in
Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar districts are
composed of a mix of all of these
sects.[136] According to B. Raman, the
Shias and Ismailis constituted about 85%
of the population in 1948.[139][note 5] The
proportion was brought down by General
Zia ul-Haq through a conscious policy of
demographic change by encouraging the
migration of Sunnis from other provinces
and the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas. The policy is said to have been
motivated by a desire to counter the
growing sectarian consciousness of the
Shias after the Iranian Revolution in
1979.[139]

Culture

Architecture
Baltit fort, Khaplu Palace Chaqchan
Hunza Mosque, Khaplu

"Mostly the architecture have been influenced by

Tibetan Architecture as the above images are
testimonials of it."[29]
Dance of Swati Guests with traditional music at Baltit
Fort in 2014

Wakhi musicians in Gulmit.

One of the poplular dish of this region is Chapchor. It
is widely made in Hunza Valley

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to diversified

cultures, ethnic groups, languages and
backgrounds.[144] Major cultural events
include the Shandoor Polo Festival,
Babusar Polo Festival and Jashn-e-
Baharan or the Harvest Time Festival
(Navroz).[144] Traditional dances include:
Old Man Dance in which more than one
person wears old-style dresses; Cow Boy
Dance (Payaloo) in which a person wears
old style dress, long leather shoes and
holds a stick in hand and the Sword Dance
in which the participants show taking one
sword in right and shield in left. One to six
participants can dance in pairs.

Sports
Polo in progress with the shandur lake in background,
Shandur, Gupis-Yasin District.

Many types of sports are in currency,

throughout the region, but most popular of
them is Polo.[145][146] Almost every bigger
valley has a polo ground, polo matches in
such grounds attract locals as well as
foreigners visitors during summer season.
One of such polo tournament is held in
Shandur each year and polo teams of
Gilgit with Chitral participates.[147] Though
very internationally unlikely, but even for
some local historians like Hassan Hasrat
from Skardu and for some national writers
like Ahmed Hasan Dani it was originated in
same region.[148] For testimonies, they
present the Epic of King Gesar of balti
version where king gesar started polo by
killing his step son and hit head of cadaver
with a stick thus started the game[149] they
also held that the very simple rules of local
polo game also testifies its primitiveness.
The English word Polo has balti origin, that
is spoken in same region, dates back to
the 19th century which means ball.[150][151]

Other popular sports are football, cricket,

volleyball (mostly play in winters) and
other minor local sports. with growing
facilities and particular local geography
Climbing, trekking and other similar sports
are also getting popularity. Samina Baig
from Hunza valley is the only Pakistani
woman and the third Pakistani to climb
Mount Everest and also the youngest
Muslim woman to climb Everest, having
done so at the age of 21 while Hassan
Sadpara from Skardu valley is the first
Pakistani to have climbed six eight-
thousanders including the world's highest
peak Everest (8848m) besides K2
(8611m), Gasherbrum I (8080m),
Gasherbrum II (8034m), Nanga Parbat
(8126 m), Broad Peak (8051m).

See also
 Balti people
Balti language
Genocide of Kashmiri Shias
List of mountains in Pakistan
List of cities in Gilgit-Baltistan
List of cultural heritage sites in Gilgit-
Baltistan

Notes
1. The Indian government and Indian
sources refer to Azad Kashmir and
Gilgit-Baltistan as "Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir" ("PoK")[15] or "Pakistan-held
Kashmir" (PHK).[16] Sometimes Azad
Kashmir alone is meant by these
terms.[15] "Pakistan-administered
Kashmir" and "Pakistan-controlled
Kashmir"[17][18] are used by neutral
sources. Conversely, Pakistani
sources call the territory under Indian
control "Indian-Occupied Kashmir"
("IOK") or "Indian-Held Kashmir"
("IHK").[15]
2. He twice mentions a people called
Dadikai, first along with the Gandarioi,
and again in the catalogue of king
Xerxes's army invading Greece.
Herodotus also mentions the gold-
digging ants of Central Asia.
3. In the 1st century, Pliny repeats that
the Dards were great producers of
gold.
4. Ptolemy situates the Daradrai on the
upper reaches of the Indus
 5. The 1941 census shows 80% Shias in
the Skardu tehsil,[140] 50% Shias in the
Gilgit tehsil,[141] and 32% Shias in the
Astore tehsil.[142] The figures for the
Gilgit Agency territories were not
available, but it was stated that "a
large proportion of the Muslims of the
Gilgit Agency belong to the Shia
Sect."[143]

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317-40544-3: "While AJK formally
possesses most of the government
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reflecting due weight in the coverage.
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also applied neutrally to the names of
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(a) Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannia,
Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent ,
Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved
15 August 2019 (subscription
required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of
the northwestern Indian subcontinent
... has been the subject of dispute
between India and Pakistan since the
partition of the Indian subcontinent in
1947. The northern and western
portions are administered by Pakistan
and comprise three areas: Azad
Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last
two being part of a territory called the
Northern Areas. Administered by India
are the southern and southeastern
portions, which constitute the state of
Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to
be split into two union territories.";
(b) Pletcher, Kenneth, Aksai Chin,
Plateau Region, Asia , Encyclopaedia
Britannica, retrieved 16 August 2019
(subscription required) Quote: "Aksai
Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin,
portion of the Kashmir region, at the
northernmost extent of the Indian
subcontinent in south-central Asia. It
constitutes nearly all the territory of
the Chinese-administered sector of
Kashmir that is claimed by India to be
part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and
Kashmir state.";
(c) "Kashmir" , Encyclopedia
Americana, Scholastic Library
Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-
7172-0139-6 C. E Bosworth, University
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kash'mer, the northernmost region of
the Indian subcontinent, administered
partly by India, partly by Pakistan, and
partly by China. The region has been
the subject of a bitter dispute between
India and Pakistan since they became
independent in 1947";
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Modern South Asia: Politics, States,
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pp. 28–29, ISBN 978-0-300-19694-8
Quote: "We move from a disputed
international border to a dotted line on
the map that represents a military
border not recognized in international
law. The line of control separates the
Indian and Pakistani administered
areas of the former Princely State of
Jammu and Kashmir.";
(e) Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannia,
Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent ,
Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved
15 August 2019 (subscription
required) Quote: "... China became
active in the eastern area of Kashmir
in the 1950s and has controlled the
northeastern part of Ladakh (the
easternmost portion of the region)
since 1962.";
(f) Bose, Sumantra (2009), Kashmir:
Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace ,
Harvard University Press, pp. 294, 291,
293, ISBN 978-0-674-02855-5 Quote:
"J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The
former princely state that is the
subject of the Kashmir dispute.
Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu
and Kashmir. The larger and more
populous part of the former princely
state. It has a population of slightly
over 10 million, and comprises three
regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and
Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free)
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Kodi, Rawalakot, and Poonch. Its
capital is the town of Muzaffarabad.
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populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit
and Baltistan, remote mountainous
regions which are directly
administered, unlike AJK, by the
Pakistani central authorities, and
some high-altitude uninhabitable
tracts under Chinese control."
(g) Fisher, Michael H. (2018), An
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p. 166, ISBN 978-1-107-11162-2
Quote: "Kashmir's identity remains
hotly disputed with a UN-supervised
"Line of Control" still separating
Pakistani-held Azad ("Free") Kashmir
from Indian-held Kashmir.";
(h) Snedden, Christopher (2015),
Understanding Kashmir and
Kashmiris , Oxford University Press,
 p. 10, ISBN 978-1-84904-621-3
Quote:"Some politicised terms also
are used to describe parts of J&K.
These terms include the words
'occupied' and 'held'."
14. Nirupama Subramanian (12 November
2020). "Explained: The importance of
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15. Snedden 2013, pp. 2–3.
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S2CID 154847994 , "Instead of the
chief minister, the order rests all
administrative, political and judicial
authority with the governor, which
makes him the supreme authority and
portrays the assembly as a toothless
 tiger. At best, the order legitimises
Pakistan's occupation and claims
political rights for the locals without
changing the power equation."
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 Azar, Amjad Hussain. "Gilgit-Baltistan:
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