Gilgit, December 1
A sense of accomplishment overwhelmed this correspondent as did the other members of a team of Indian journalists as the Fokker Friendship aircraft landed at Gilgit, situated at an altitude of over 4,700 feet on a clear morning.

After all, they were the first Indians allowed to visit Gilgit, which lies in what is known as the Northern Areas of Pakistan.

The one-hour flight from Islamabad was spectacular with breathtaking views of the Nanga Parbat and the K-2, which are one of the highest mountain peaks in the world. At a distance could be seen the Kargil hills over which India and Pakistan came to a near-war situation a few years ago.

“Look out and you can find a sleeping beauty”, suggested the friendly airhostess. With the peaks and the curves in the right proportions, the mountains appeared like a beautiful damsel sleeping in the clouds.

As they sat dazed, the captain invited group leader and secretary of the Indian chapter of the South Asian Free Media Association Vinod Sharma into the cockpit to give him a better view of nature’s splendour. This is a privilege rarely extended to passengers after 9/11 brought down the World Trade Centre towers in New York.

Hospitality was at its best with officials looking the other way when photographers clicked away to glory inside and outside the aircraft.

Surrounded on four sides by majestic mountains, the airport was simply picturesque. As had been happening all through, a group of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) activists who owe allegiance to Mr Amanulla Khan, was at the airport to “welcome the compatriots from Kashmir and honourable guests from India.”

The police kept them barricaded from the airport. But their slogan, “we want independence”, filtered through the barricades.

Originally, Gilgit was not part of the tour programme. It was included at the last minute. It was a short drive from the airport to the Pakistan Tourism Department hotel. Mr Jameel Ahmed, the seniormost official present, briefed the newsmen on the Northern Areas which now consist of six districts, one having been created just a few weeks ago.

The Northern Areas have been a problem area for Pakistan. It was once part of the state of Kashmir. But Pakistan did not consider it an integral part of the state so much so that despite demands, the jurisdiction of the Government of “Azad Kashmir” was never extended to the region.

A land of diversities where the Shias are an overwhelming majority in most areas, it has begun catching up with the rest of Pakistan. Mr Ahmed claimed that there had been a substantial growth in the literacy rate with 75 per cent of children already enrolled in schools.

But complaints persist about the uneven development of the sparsely-populated area. Local languages are not allowed to develop while Urdu is imposed on the people. The area is not represented in the national legislature.

Hence there is no taxation also. The latest models of vehicles which cost upwards of Rs 25 lakh are a common sight at Gilgit. Drug trafficking and smuggling have a lot to do with instances of conspicuous consumption that a visitor finds to his shock here.

While Shia-Sunni clashes occur at times, what worries the people more is that they have a very poor representation in the decision-making process. The chief executive of the region, who sits in Islamabad, makes only occasional visits. Ninety per cent of the region’s expenditure is met by the federal government. Because of strategic and other reasons, the security agencies have a strong presence in the area.

In order to give some sort of representation to the people, there is now a Northern Areas Legislative Council, elections to which were held recently. There are 29 seats, out of which five are reserved for women, who are being chosen by the 24 elected members.

The councillors are now in a jubilant mood but they were too new to the task of governance that they failed to answer most questions in a coherent manner. Their statements, be they on the status of Kashmir or the dependence on Islamabad, were bundles of contradictions.

There is discernible dissatisfaction among the people over the present administrative arrangements. Mr Sujad Ali, Secretary-General of an organisation that stands for a separate Balawaristan state, which will not be under the control of either Pakistan or India, narrated instance after instance of Pakistani highhandedness.

“Half the people here are intelligence personnel. They tried to prevent us from coming here. The worst charge possible — sedition — is slapped on us at the slightest provocation”, said an indignant Ali.