Pakistan's governance of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) since 1947 has been marked by structural failure and neglect, despite the region's population having acceded to Pakistan voluntarily on November 1, 1947, by ending Dogra rule. India, however, claims GB as its territory, viewing it as illegally occupied and strategically vital for disrupting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and altering regional balance.
Islamabad's administration of GB as the 'Northern Areas' created a constitutional void, denying residents provincial rights, federal representation, and constitutional protection, relying instead on executive orders. This structural weakness prevents GB from protecting its electoral process from federal interference, as evidenced by the managed Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections on June 7, 2026. Interference mechanisms include a federally appointed caretaker government, deployment of federal resources like Nawaz Sharif's airport project announcement on June 2, 2026, and procedural failures such as the lack of Form 45 provision. The most dangerous development is the reported contesting of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)-affiliated candidates, an anti-Shia party, in the Shia, Ismaili, and Noor Bakhshi majority territory, raising sectarian concerns documented by Genocide Watch and HRCP.
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