Arun Joshi
Pakistan’s terrorism has yet again reached Gilgit-Baltistan with a big bang in Gilgit-Baltistan where nine persons were killed and 26 others injured in a terror attack last Saturday (December 2, 2023) Saturday, revealing the reach of Pakistani terrorists in the mountainous area, which originally and legally belongs to India. This is an assault on the Indian territories under the occupation of Pakistan, such attacks have serious repercussions for India. The squeamish attitude of Delhi is self-hurting
Terror attacks in Gilgit-Baltistan are engineered by Pakistani terrorist groups in Gilgit-Baltistan , which is Indian territory and anything bad happening there should concern the Indian government . Pakistani government has been unable to protect the citizens there and it has shown no inclination to do so, therefore it is important for India to take cognizance of such incidents and send a message to the citizens, how it is concerned over their safety and well-being.
Gilgit-Baltistan is a treasure trove of glaciers and stunningly beautiful region in Himalayas, which was annexed by Pakistan in 1947, weeks after Maharaja Hari Singh had acceded the state of Jammu and Kashmir to India. Gilgit-Baltistan was part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
On Saturday evening, according to reports in Pakistan media, a passenger bus in Chilas district in Gilgit-Baltistan came under gunfire by terrorists, resulting in the death of at least nine passengers.
The incident occurred in the Hudur area in Chilas, a popular stopping point for tourists, on the Karakoram highway. According to rescue sources, the gunfire ignited fire on the bus, leaving 26 people, including women and children, wounded, with some in critical condition, Pakistani media reported.
This terror strike has visited G-B after a gap of more than 10 years, the last major terror attack was in Nanga Parbat on June 22, 2013, when nine foreign tourists were massacred. The attack was attributed to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The victims were foreign tourists (hikers) from the United States, China, Slovakia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Nepal), their guide and chef. The hikers were at the base camp of Nanga Parbat Mountain when the terrorists attacked. The team investigating the attack was ambushed two months later, in which three officers – two of them of Pakistan army and police were killed. Thereafter, there was a lull, but terrorists returned with their Islamist agenda of setting ablaze and bombing girls’ schools.
This particular incident of terror attack has sent shockwaves throughout the Gilgit-Baltistan region as the people fear that their area would be transformed into a land of terror like neighbouring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The G-B people are unwilling to be spotlighted on the terror map of Pakistan.
Pakistani media has stated in no uncertain terms that the country has witnessed an “uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government last year.” > The TTP had revoked ceasefire in November last year after cessation of hostilities from June to October 2022.
There were 99 attacks across the country, the highest number in a single month since November 2014, according to data compiled by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICCS). The numbers released by Islamabad-based think tank were lower than 147 attacks claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, most of which couldn’t be verified through independent sources, PICSS
The widening network of Pakistan has now scaled new heights – it has intruded into Himalayas, and that can result in a big terror threat in the region, which could have wide-ranging consequences for the whole of the region where China and Pakistan are playing big games to enslave the local population. Terrorism, that Pakistan claims is originating from Afghanistan soil, has already laid out several fault-lines. The criss-crossing of the fault lines, can c0mplicate the geo-politics. Terrorism is a newest threat in the region, which so far has stayed relatively quiet
The Chilas attack has reconfirmed that no region of Pakistan and the territories under its control, is safe from terrorism. According to counter terrorism expert Farhan Zahid that no region of Pakistan is safe from terrorism and militancy. The mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region previously remained sheltered from terrorism in mainland Pakistan. “
This particular incident of terror attack has sent shockwaves throughout the Gilgit-Baltistan region as the people fear that their area would be transformed into a land of terror like neighbouring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The G-B people are unwilling to be spotlighted on the terror map of Pakistan.
(Arun Joshi is author of “Eyewitness Kashmir; Teetering on Nuclear War and senior journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir, writes on South Asian affairs)
Disclaimer: This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write-up have nothing to do with www.prameyanews.com.
