Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2024

Date of Submission

2024-09-10

Advisor

Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences

Committee

Dr. Farhan Hanif Siddiqi, Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, Qaid-e-Azam University Islamabad

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Disparity, Governance, Socio-Political Treatment, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan, Federal

Abstract

This final year research paper aims to highlight different aspects of disparity in state’s administrative and governance attitude towards Gilgit-Baltistan while comparing it with the administrative and governance approach of Pakistan with Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir both fall under one Political/Administrative set-up i.e., the ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan (Mo KA&GB) in the federal structure of Pakistan. Though the two regions’ legal status is undefined and have equal statuses yet when it comes to constitutional provisions and other privileges from the federal government, there appears disparity in state’s governance approach treating Gilgit-Baltistan differentially. As the two regions are connected with each other and have same status and identity in this state, therefore the two regions under one political set-up should be treated equally in terms of constitutional provisions and governance setup, but the case is not that way. This research paper aims to explore why there exists disparity between the two regions governance and socio-political set-up within the federal system of Pakistan and what the people of Gilgit-Baltistan expects from the federal government. What are the structural hurdles facing the state in treating them equally and the reasons of such dual approach of governance in the federal political set-up of Pakistan. Moreover, in the context of border management and governance, I am specifically highlighting the concerns of the border dwellers at the Ladakh-Baltistan border, how they are affected/affecting by the dual standard governance approach of the state, and what are their concerns to the governing authorities of this state.

The study examines the issues in the administrative set-up and relies on data from scholarly articles and semi structured/open-ended interviews of border dwellers, political leaders, and experts from the region who have good understandings on the affairs of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

Pages

67

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