Beauty of Gilgit Baltistan
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| Gilgit Baltistan |
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| Apricot fruit drying |
Gilgit–Baltistan (formerly known as the Northern
Areas is the northernmost territory of Pakistan.[5] It borders the territory of Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the
west, the Wakhan Corridor of
Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang autonomous region of China to the
east and northeast and the Jammu and Kashmir state of India to the southeast.
Together
with Azad Kashmir, it forms part of the disputed Kashmir region, which has been the subject of conflict between India and Pakistan since the two countries'
independence and partition in 1947.[6][5]
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| fairy meadows |
Gilgit–Baltistan
is an autonomous self-governing region that was established as a single
administrative unit in 1970, formed by the amalgamation of the Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan region and the former princely states of Hunza and Nagar. It covers an area
of 72,971 km² (28,174 mi²) and is highly mountainous. It has an
estimated population approaching 1,000,000. Its capital city is Gilgit
(population 216,760).
History
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| Astore Valley |
Main
article: History of Gilgit-Baltistan
Further
information: History of Kashmir
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| Foreigners |
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| Baltistan |
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| Baltit fort Hunza valley |
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| Rope hanging bridge |
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| Lake on the top |
Gilgit–Baltistan
was part of the Delhi Sultanate until it
fell to the Mughal Empire in the early
half of the 16th century. The territory became predominantly Muslim
during the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and later
the Mughal Empire due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs
dot the landscape. By 1757, suzerainty of the region was obtained from
the Mughals by Ahmad Shah Durrani under
an agreement[7] and became part of Afghanistan[8] (also known as the Durrani Empire)[9][10][11] until Ranjit Singh invaded and took control from the Afghans in
1819.[12] It became a princely state
with the name "Jammu and Kashmir" around 1846. After
Pakistan achieved independence in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir also initially
remained an independent state. In the course of the first Kashmir war,
Pakistani control was established on territories captured by Pakistan to the
north and west of the cease-fire line. In 1970,
the name "Northern Areas" (today's Gilgit–Baltistan, 72,971 km²)
was applied to the areas that had previously been known as Gilgit and Baltistan.
The name "Northern Areas" was actually first used by the United Nations to refer to the northern areas of Kashmir. A
small part of Gilgit–Baltistan, the Shaksgam tract, was
provisionally ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963.
Before
the demise of Shribadat, the
last Hindu king of the Trakhan
dynasty in Gilgit, a group of Shin 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 is believed that
they have maintained their Dardic culture and Shina language up to the present time.
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| Local women and fruits |
Self-governing status and present-day Gilgit-Baltistan
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| PIA landibg Gilgit airport |
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 nine districts, has a population approaching one
million, an area of approximately 28,000 square miles (73,000 km2),
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 predominantly Shia population of Gilgit–Baltistan, who feared domination by
the Sunni Kashmiris.[13]
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| Beatiful lake and peaks |
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| Lalik Jan tomb Yaseen Ghizer valley |
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.[14][15] On August 29, 2009, the Gilgit–Baltistan
Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009, was passed by the Pakistani cabinet
and later signed by the President of Pakistan. 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 de facto province-like status without
constitutionally becoming part of Pakistan.[14][16] Officially, Pakistan has rejected Gilgit–Baltistani
calls for integration with Pakistan on the grounds that it would prejudice its
international obligations with regard to the Kashmir dispute.[13]
Some militant Kashmiri nationalist groups, such as
the Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front, claim Gilgit–Baltistan as part of a future
independent Kashmir rather than as a future integral part of Pakistan.
[13] India, on the other hand, maintains that
Gilgit-Baltistan is a part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.[17] Because of human rights violations[18] in the region, political parties in India have
sought government intervention there.[19]
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| Cadet Cllege skardu |
On
September 29, 2009, the Pakistani prime minister, while addressing a huge
gathering in Gilgit–Baltistan, announced a multi-billion-rupee development
package aimed at the socio-economic uplifting of the people of the area.
Development projects are slated to include the areas of education, health,
agriculture, tourism, and the basic needs of life.[20][21]
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| Chakor a bird special of Gilgit Baltistan |
Map of
Gilgit-Baltistan, showing the boundaries of six of the nine present districts
and their tehsils. The boundary between the recently created Hunza-Nagar
District and the now smaller Gilgit District is the same line as the northern
boundary of the former Gilgit Tehsil. That tehsil appears as the southernmost
division of the area shown above in light blue. Aliabad, the administrative
center of the new Hunza-Nagar District, is not yet shown on this map. Note: An
up-to-date map showing the boundaries of all nine of the present districts is
sorely needed.
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| Chilas |
Administrative divisions
Gilgit–Baltistan
is administratively divided into two divisions which, in turn, are divided into
nine districts,[22] consisting of the four Baltistan districts of Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang, and Ghanche, and the five Gilgit
districts of Gilgit, Ghizer, Diamir,
Astore, and Hunza-Nagar. The principal
administrative centers are the towns of Gilgit
and Skardu.
Division
|
District
|
Area
(km²)
|
Population
(1998)
|
Capital
|
Baltistan
|
Ghanche
|
9,400
|
165,366
|
Khaplu
|
|
Skardu
|
8,000
|
214,848
|
Skardu
|
|
Shigar
|
8,500
|
109,000
|
Shigar
|
|
Kharmang
|
5,500
|
188,000
|
Tolti
|
Gilgit
|
Gilgit
|
16,300
|
283,324
|
Gilgit
|
|
Diamer
|
10,936
|
131,925
|
Chilas
|
|
Ghizer
|
9,635
|
170,218
|
Gahkuch
|
|
Astore
|
8,657
|
121,666
|
Eidghah
|
|
Hunza-Nagar
|
20,057
|
112,450
|
Aliabad
|
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| Astore valley |
Geography and climate
Gilgit–Baltistan
borders Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province to the west, a small portion of
the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan to the north, China's Xinjiang Uygur
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.[23]
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| History |
Gilgit–Baltistan
is home to five of the "eight-thousanders" and to more than fifty peaks above
7,000 meters. 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.[24] Amongst the highest mountains are K2
(Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter
being one of the most feared mountains in the world.
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| Danyor gilgit |
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, Astore
- 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
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| Darel valley |
The Deosai Plains, are located above the tree line and constitute
the second-highest plateau in the world at 4,115 meters (14,500 feet)after Tibet.
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. 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.
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| Deosai astore valley |
Rock art and petroglyphs
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| Domil Astore valley |
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 various 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
various inscriptions and recorded his findings in Rock Carvings and
Inscriptions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan[25] and the later released Between Gandhara and the
Silk Roads – Rock Carvings Along the Karakoram Highway.[26] 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.
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| Apricot drying at Ghizer valley |
Climate
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| Corporal punishments in schools |
The
climate of Gilgit–Baltistan varies from region to region, surrounding mountain
ranges creates sharp variations in weather. The eastern part has the moist zone
of the western Himalayas, but going toward Karakoram and Hindu Kush, the climate
dries considerably.[27]
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.
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| Road for Fairy meadow |
Economy and resources
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| View point of three Mountain ranges |
The economy
of the region is primarily based on a traditional route of trade through the
historic "Silk Road." The China Trade Organization was the leading
economic forum through which most of barter trade activity made a phenomenal
change in the general economic outlook of the area, which, being the remotest
region under Pakistani control, was neglected for over a quarter of a century.
That forum led the people of the area to actively invest and learn modern trade
know-how from its Chinese neighbor Xinjiang. The participation of all ethnic
groups and the active force behind this activity, the legendary economist of
the area Ashraf Khan, brought a great change in the region. Later, the
establishment of a chamber of commerce and the Sost 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.
[28][29]
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.[30] Exiled activists of the region, Mumtaz Khan and Senge Hasnan
Sering have since asked India to take a more proactive stance and
save the region from exploitation.[31]
Sports
|
|
This section requires expansion. (January 2010)
|
Polo
is the favorite game of the people of Gilgit, Skardu, Ghanche, Chilas, Astore,
Hunza, Nagar, and the surrounding areas.[citation needed]
Every year, many tourists visit to enjoy polo in Gilgit–Baltistan.
"Polo" is actually a Balti Word which means "ball."[citation needed]
Other games such as cricket, tuksori of Nagar, gulli danda, kabbadi, and volleyball are also played.[32]
Transport
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| Siachan Baltistan |
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| Everywhere you can drink fresh water |
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| An amazing lake at baltistan |
Prior to
1978, Gilgit–Baltistan was cut off from Pakistan and from the rest of the world
due to the harsh terrain and the lack of accessible roads. All of the roads to
the south opened toward the Pakistani-administered state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and
to the southeast towards 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, however, 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 Karakoram Highway (KKH)
connects Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu,
which are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in
Gilgit–Baltistan. The journey from Rawalpindi/Islamabad to Gilgit
takes approximately 20 to 24 hours. Landslides on the Karakoram Highway are very common. The KKH
connects Gilgit to Taxkorgan, Kaxgar
in China via Sost (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 feet).
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.
The Karakoram Highway
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| Sikardu Air force |
In March
2006, the respective governments announced that, commencing on June 1, 2006, a
thrice-weekly bus service would begin across the boundary from Gilgit to Kaxgar,
China, and road-widening work would begin on 600 kilometres of
the Karakoram Highway. There would also be one daily bus in each direction
between the Sost and Taxkorgan border areas of the two political entities.[33]
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| Free for all waterfall |
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| Baltistan |
Pakistan International
Airlines used to fly a Fokker F27 aircraft daily between Gilgit Airport and Islamabad 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, the mountain whose peak is higher than the
aircraft's cruising altitude. However, the Fokker F27 aircraft was retired
after a crash at Multan in 2006. Currently, flights are being operated by PIA
to Gilgit on the brand-new ATR42-500 aircraft, which was purchased in 2006.
With the new plane, the cancellation of flights is much less frequent. PIA also offers
regular flights of a Boeing 737 between Skardu
and Islamabad. All flights, however, are subject to weather
clearance, and, in winter, flights are often delayed by several days.
A railway
through the region has been proposed, see Khunjerab Railway for details.
Demographics
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| Summer season |
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| Ata Abad lake hunza |
At the
last census (1998), the population of Gilgit–Baltistan was 870,347.[34] Approximately 14% of the population was urban.[35] The estimated population Gilgit–Baltistan in 2013
is over 2 million. 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, Pathans,
and Kohistanis. The population of Gilgit–Baltistan is Muslim.
The majority of population is Shia Imamia
followed by Shia Ismaili fiqh.[36] A significent number of people from
Gilgit–Baltistan are resident in other parts of Pakistan. They number around
one million, of which at least 400,000 are resident in Karachi. The litearcy rate of Gilgit–Baltistan is
approximately 72%.
Languages
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| wildlife of Gilgit Baltistan |
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| Deosai |
Urdu
is the lingua franca of the
region, understood by most inhabitants.[citation needed]
The Shina language (with several dialects such as Asturjaa,
Kharuchaa, and Chilasi) is the majority language of of the population, spoken
mainly in Gilgit, Astore, throughout Diamir, and in some parts of Ghizer and in
the Baltistan region.
The Balti dialect, a sub-dialect of Ladakhi and part of the
Tibetan language group, is spoken by the entire population of Baltistan. Minor
languages spoken in the region include Wakhi, spoken in upper Hunza, and in some villages in Ghizer,
while Khowar is the principal
language of Ghizer. Burushaski is an isolated language spoken
in Hunza, Nagar, Yasin (where Khowar is also spoken), in some parts of Gilgit,
and in some villages of Punial. Another interesting language is Domaaki, spoken by musician clans in the region..
Gilgit–Baltistan
has very few speakers of Kashmiri. However, speakers of other Dardic languages such as Shina and Khowar are present in the region.
Religion
The
population of Gilgit–Baltistan are Muslims. The majority (75%) of the people
are Shia with a significant Sunni
minority. The Ismailis and Sufia Nurbakhshia are also present in Gilgit–Baltistan. The
Gilgit Division has about 60% of Shia and 40% of Sunni whereas in the Baltistan
Division, Shia number over 90% of the population.[
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| Gilaciers at Baltistan |
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| A picture 1989 |
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| Beautiful Northern area of pakistan |
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| Ibex of Gilgit baltistan Valleys |
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| Wildlife |
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| Pakistan army at Siachan |
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| Maize |
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| Lakes |
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| fruits |
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| wildlife Hunza valley |
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| Fairy meadow Diamer Chilas |
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| Gilgit city along Indus river |
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| gilgit Sikardu road |
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| Baltistan |
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| Gilgit city |
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| Hunza apricots |
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| Jalaabad Gilgit |
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| roads for villages |
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| Spring season |
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| K2 Mountain |
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| Gilgit Baltistan |
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| N35-Karakuram highways |
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