The killing of Jamshed Khan, a judge of the anti terrorism court in Gilgit, on June 24 indicates that the sectarian fires lit after the murder of Aga Ziauddin in January 2005 have not been extinguished. The Northern Areas (NA) have been in turmoil for quite some time. The decision to build Bhasha Dam has added fuel to the fire as it will inundate large tracts of land in the Diamer district. The royalty from the Dam however will go to the NWFP since the Pakistani constitution stipulates that royalty, and the bulk of the net profits, earned from a hydroelectric station should go to the province where it is situated. General Musharraf's assurance that the royalty will be shared has failed to satisfy the restive population. The students in NA have asserted that Chitral and Kohistan (where Bhasha is located) in the NWFP are part of the NA, and were separated by Pakistan as part of a conspiracy. They also maintain that as the dam is in disputed territory it should not be built until the question of its status is resolved.

These are symptoms of the deep frustration felt by the people of NA due to their continued exploitation by Islamabad. All through the six decades during which it has been administered by Islamabad, the people have been denied their legitimate political rights. The region has never been represented in the Pakistani parliament or in the 'Azad Kashmir' Assembly. In the absence of any constitutional forum to voice their grievances, the people have been discontented ever since Pakistan occupied this region. The inauguration of the Karakoram Highway worsened the situation as it opened this otherwise inaccessible region to Pakistan, and brought in religious fanatics who spread sectarianism in the area.

Pakistan has always been wary of the dominant Shia population in the region and has made every attempt to marginalise them by encouraging outsiders. This has created a sectarian tinderbox. Their sectarian and ethnic marginalisation, coupled with a lack of constitutional rights, has resulted in violent protests. Sectarian violence has been a regular feature in the region since 1988, when people living in Shia-dominated villages in the region were killed by tribesmen from outside. Of late, the targeted killing of high-profile personalities in the area, violent demonstrations against law enforcement agencies, discord over educational material, frequent curfews and the closure of schools have led to a volatile situation. This has been aggravated by the overall poverty in the region, the decline in businesses, and the general lack of educational and employment opportunities for the disgruntled youth. Politically, too, the people are unhappy with the lack of constitutional rights. The Northern Areas' Legislative Council is a toothless body and is totally powerless in confronting the military and civil bureaucracy.

The current spate of violence has its genesis in the assassination of the Shia cleric Aga Ziauddin. The violent protests against his killing by the locals led to a large scale loss of life and government property. The situation was brought under control only after the Army was deploying and a curfew imposed. Sporadic cases of violence have nonetheless continued. The violence has been so intense that even the IG police, the highest ranking police official, was assassinated, along with his body guards. As a result, three police officers of the rank of SP refused to join duty in Gilgit and were sacked. If the senior police officers prefer being sacked to serving in the region the plight of other government officials can be well imagined. In the past, government officials, including those of the Army, Northern Light Infantry and police, have been identified and murdered while traveling, in buses, through areas under the control of the sectarian militia.

Besides the growing sectarianism and lack of constitutional rights, economic deprivation, cultural marginalisation and a lack of representation in the government are the underlying reasons for the alienation of the population in this sensitive region. The Bhasha dam will bring in more settlers from outside, who will then disturb the delicate sectarian balance. In the absence of any suitable legislative forum to express their resentment, the people have been increasingly resorting to violence in order to exhibit their discontent. The tumultuous region needs to be watched carefully as developments here may have ramifications on the discussions to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

The region is legally a part of India and the Indian government has voiced its concern about the denial of constitutional rights to the people of the region. The alienation of the population in this sensitive region provides India with crucial leverage against Pakistan and diminishes the importance of valley based groups. The demand, by the people of Baltistan, to open a bus link between Kargil and Skardu must be encouraged as it will reunite divided families and expose the people to the rights and autonomy enjoyed by the people of Kargil and Ladakh.