Gilgit-Baltistan — some history, some future |
My piece last week concerning my recent travels in Gilgit-Baltistan evoked public interest. Connectivity — air and land — as highlighted remains the foundational issue for tourists and people of the area. One local reader commented "...travelling, not for pleasure but [even] under absolutely unavoidable situations, is torturous to say the least. I left Gilgit in mid-1970s and the misery of rough travelling is unendingly continuing." The observation went on, "times have changed everywhere else for better, except the unforgiving stretch of Karakorum Highway (KKH) from Thakot to Gilgit, and at Tatta Pani ahead of Chilas."
So, if there is one issue that should command all time, urgent and continuous attention, it is road travel and air-connectivity. Keeping Babusar Pass open the year around and making road conditions between Thakot and Chilas and at Tatta Pani better, bearable even if temporarily, would alleviate the local suffering and make the lofty tourism claims worthy of the time, words and efforts spared for them. Uninterrupted electricity supply is also an existential calling that needs to be answered. Only then will the utopian travel and tourism bonanza materialise.
The same reader was skeptical about Diamer-Bhasha-Dasu dam projects. He wrote, "The two projects on KKH will bring a lot of goodness for all in the country, less the people of GB. They are destined to face the brunt of these projects now, with nothing to gain subsequently." These are serious observations demanding serious attention.
Another issue highlighted remains the constitutional status of GB within and with Pakistan. Locals lament that since........