Urdu realpolitik

As was seen with the War of Liberation, resulting in the birth of Bangladesh, a common religion alone cannot hold different nationalities together. Issues of good governance, economic development, social justice and cultural identity also must be addressed in order for a nation state to sustain its existence. However, four decades since the violence of 1971, areas such as Gilgit-Baltistan remain a target of forced cultural assimilation and racial oppression – especially because the natives oppose Pakistan's Kashmir agenda, and refuse to entertain hideouts and training camps for militants.  

Over the decades, authorities in Islamabad have tried to justify these suppressive policies based on underlying insecurities. For instance, they argue that Gilgit-Baltistan is a disputed territory claimed by India and that, according to United Nations resolutions, the locals have yet to choose their country. Official insecurity also comes from the fact that the population of Gilgit-Baltistan does not share ethnic or linguistic relations with the rest of Pakistan; the people of Baltistan have ethno-linguistic connections with Ladakh, while the predominant population of Gilgit (including the Shin, Yashkun and Khowar) are Dardic, and closely related to the ethnic communities in Kashmir and Rajasthan. The policymakers have long feared that any people-to-people contact between Gilgit-Baltistan and Ladakh could rekindle ethnic and linguistic movements across the Line of Control.