India lodges protest against Pak SC nod to elections in Gilgit-Baltistan

News:The Government of India has issued a strong protest over an order by the Pakistan Supreme Court allowing the government to hold elections in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Facts:

• Gilgit Baltistan:It is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory.It borders Azad Kashmir to the south, Afghanistan to the north, China to the east and India to the southeast.
• The region is considered as one of the two parts of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).The other one is Azad Jammu and Kashmir(AJK).
• It was handed over to Pakistan in 1947 by the British army officer of the rank of Colonel who imprisoned Maharaja Hari Singh’s governor in the region and handed over the area for accession to Pakistan.
• Significance:It has a strategic location as it provides land access to China, contains vast reservoirs of fresh water and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) passes through it.
• Current Status:In 2017, Pakistan has proposed to declare the Gilgit-Baltistan region as its fifth Province.
• However,any such move by Pakistan would violate two UN resolutions of 1948 and 1949 which clearly establishes a link between Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and the Kashmir issue.