Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved a proposal to accord Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) interim provincial status. And although Parliament will have the ultimate say, this is surely a step in the right direction. The end goal being integration into the federation; including full constitutional rights. None of which will be plain sailing. For one thing, the Kashmiris on this side of the Line of Control (LoC) oppose the move. On the grounds that GB is an inherent part of the disputed territory. Thus they view any formal de-linking of the two as dealing a severe blow to their cause. Not least because this would undermine Pakistan’s traditional support for a referendum on self-determination; in line with UN resolutions. Then there is the question of Hafiz Saeed. Admittedly, his political party failed to win any seats at the ballot-box. But it would be a misjudgement to believe he does not enjoy strong street power. He does. Indeed, this was underscored in the recent protests against Asia Bibi’s acquittal whereby Saeed also called for her head on a stick. The pressing issue therefore remains as to whether or not Parliament will stand united in the face of more potential unrest. Then there is the India factor. The Army chief of that country admonished Islamabad for having skillfully plotted to permanently alter the demography of Azad Kashmir and GB. That he said this just a day before PM Khan’s announcement suggests that there will be no immediate resetting of the bilateral relationship in the eventuality that there is a change of government in New Delhi next year. This is to say nothing about CPEC. The Americans support Indian claims that the latter runs through its territory. In other words, both sides accuse the Chinese of pursuing an illegal trajectory; regardless of how many times Beijing insists that the Corridor is not intended to target a third party. We, here at Daily Times, say all this not because we object to the people of GB being brought into the mainstream. Far from it. This is something that we have long supported. But it is to warn the Pakistani leadership across the great divide that it had better be prepared for the backlash; both at home and in the broader region. That is, it has to answer these charges before all of them are even levelled against it. For the country cannot afford the fallout from yet more retrospective capitulation. And as a priority it must assure the citizenry that it is fully committed to delivering full constitutional rights to those living in GB; including representation in the National Assembly and the Senate. This is crucial to the country’s human development. After all, the people of GB have been discarded too many times before. This has to end. Once and for all. * Published in Daily Times, November 30th 2018.