BNF GB

1. Presented by Mazahir Hussain

2.  Introduction to Gilgit Baltistan
 Nationalist movements in GB
 Case study of BNF
 Causes of nationalism in GB
 Recommendations
 Conclusion

3.  Gilgit Baltistan and AJK are separate administrative units.
 Gilgit Baltistan is located in the northern part of Pakistan. It shares border with China in
north and west Indian occupied Kashmir in the east Azad Kashmir in south east and its
southern part consist of the KP province.
 Area … 72,496 sq km ( three times greater than the size of Azad Kashmir)
 Population ... 2.3 million
 Two divisions ... Gilgit and Baltistan
 Seven Districts ... Gilgit, Skardu, Astor, Diamer, Ghizer, Hunza Nagar and Ganche
 Six languages... Shina, Balti, Broshiski, Wakhi etc
 Ethnic groups... Brusho, Mangol, Shin, Yashkun, Syed, Mon, Kashmiri etc
 Religion.. Muslim( Shia 42%, Sunni 24%, Ismaili 18% and Nurbukshi 16%)

4.  GB is a disputed area between Pakistan and India since 1947, controlled by Pakistan.
 GB is famous for its natural resources like minerals, gems, forests, animal and plant
species, and water resources.The largest river of Pakistan Indus River also starts from GB.
 Because of its natural beauty, tourism is the famous industry in the region.
 The five out of fourteen, EightThousand peaks are located in GB. K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad
Peak etc are some famous peaks.Though it is a mountainous region but it enjoys other
terrains as well, like glaciers, planes, lakes, forests, rivers, valleys etc
 StrategicallyGilgit Baltistan is important because of its location within three atomic
powers, GB also connects China with Pakistan through KKH.

5.  Balawaristan National Front (BNF)
• July 30, 1992 by Nawaz Khan Naji
• Demand an independent republic of Balawaristan
• Claimed Pakistan's control as illegal justifying the Karachi Agreement.
• BNF also claims regions in Indian Administered
Kashmir Kargil and Ladakh as part of its historic territories of
balawaristan
 Balawaristan National Student Organization (BNSO)
• Student wing of BNF
• Encourages the youth to struggle for their basic political rights
• BNSO organize awareness seminars in Karachi Rawalpindi Lahore and
other cities.

6.  Gilgit Baltistan United Movement (GBUM)
• August 2011 by Manzoor Parwana
• Demands status of a full-fledged province of Pakistan
• Also demanded local representation on government bodies.
 Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance
• An umbrella organization which also represents groups such as the
Balawaristan National Front, Karakoram National Movement, the Bolor
Research Forum and the Gilgit Baltistan Ladakh Democratic Movement
 Other groups include the Gilgit Baltistan National Movement, Gilgit
Baltistan National Alliance, Karakoram National Movement, Gilgit
Baltistan Thinkers forum and the Bolor Thinkers Forum.

7. Balawaristan
 Gilgit Baltistan includes Gilgit Skardu Hunza Ishkoman Puniyal and Yasin.
The regions of Baltistan and Ladakh (including Kargil) are also considered to
be a part of Balawaristan by nationalist parties of Gilgit baltistan and
sometimes Chitral is as well.

8. Chairman Abdul Hamid Khan
 Hamid Khan is the founder and chairman of
Balawaristan National Front (BNF) a nationalist
political party of Gilgit Baltistan (Balawaristan)
 Chairman Khan started a political struggle for
the human and political rights of the deprived
people of Gilgit Baltistan after the year 1988.
 Born in village Bahrkohlti Tehsil Yasen District
Ghizer
 He said "Our great nation is reeling under the
stifling control of the Armed Forces of Pakistan and
its security agencies”

9. Motives
 We sought freedom for this colonized part of the
world.
 We declared that we did not wish to become a
part of Pakistan on religious or any other
grounds.
 We condemned the religious and sectarian
games played against our people by Pakistan and
its intelligence agencies particularly the ISI.
A case study of Balawaristan National Front (BNF)

10. Nationalist transformation
 BNF was formed on july 1992 under the leadership of hamid
khan and nawaz khan naji
 On april 1993 bnf gathered all political religious and
national parties of gb on a common platform to oppose the
Pakistani occupation
 After this gathering sectarian crisis's was started in Gilgit on
the basis of shia sunni.
 August 1997 BNF along with Karakorum National
Movement (KNM) observed the first public Black Jubilee in
the region against Pakistan Golden Jubilee.
 As a result Chairman Abdul Hamid Khan and many of his
colleagues were immediately arrested and sent to Jail by
leveling sedition charges (Pakistani section 124A) against
them.

11.  Due to the threat to his life Mr. Khan was forced to
completely go underground in March 1999.
 He finally succeeded in fleeing Pakistan in May the
same year.
 Nawaz khan Naji dissociated with his parent party
and declared that he would establish a new one
 After some days naji announced that he would remain
in BNF.
 Then bnf separate into two groups Hamid group and
Naji group Hamid lead his group from abroad and
naji is in pakistan
 Later on Naji was selecting for the GBLA twice.
 Now nawaz khan naji lead bnf in GB.

12. Nawaz khan naji
 Nawaz Khan Naji heads a
nationalist party Balawaristan
National Front (BNF).
 Elected to the Gilgit-Baltistan
Legislative Assembly (GBLA)
from district Ghizar in 2010.
 He believes that GB requires
people with capability honesty
and trained in political field.
 He again elected to GBLA in
2014 election and now he is a
member of GBLA

13.  Less budget.....
 Easy access for outsiders...(no state subject rule)
 Less attention of the governments towards GB.
 Lack of regional political parties
 Lack of opportunities inside GB and in Pakistan for the people of GB.
 No development and disastrous infrastructure.
 No medical/engineering universities in GB.
 Influence of Leftist movements.
 Cultural differences with other provinces of Pakistan.
 Hundred of divided families along the LoC.

14.  Steps should be taken to eliminate the separatist movements from GB.
 Constitutional rights should be given to GB.
 Resolutions should be passed in the NA to entertained the people of GB.
 Proper rights should be given to the citizen of GB like the right to vote.
 Government attentions towards GB should be increase.
 At least half of the revenue got from GB should be spend inside the region.
 Eliminate unemployment from the area.
 Develop the infrastructure of GB.
 Establish engineering and medical universities in GB or increase quotas for students in the
universities in other provinces.
 AJK type setup in GB
 Kargil Road should be open for trade and transportation.

15. Conclusion
 Gilgit Baltistan is the part of Pakistan. Its inhabitants
are very patriotic with Pakistan but some elements
are also there which are causing nationalism in GB.
This sense of nationalism could be convert in to
patriotism only by the efforts of the state.
 BNF is rising nationalist party of GB under the
leadership of Nawaz naji as peaceful party
 Nawaz naji is elected as member of GBLA 2014
 Mudi talk about GB and Baluchistan in his speech
that “my followers are their in GB”
 After that law enforcement agencies of Pak take
action in Gilgit and arrested some nationalist leaders.

16. Conclusion
 CPEC is big issue of Pakistan because BNF talk
about rights and representation in CPEC.
 If the Govt won’t pay attention towards to people
of GB then there will be much more chances that
they will move towards to insurgence or militancy