By AH Nizami in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2012.
MIRPUR: The Mirpur District Bar Association (MDBA) expressed serious concerns on Wednesday over reports that the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) region will be acceded to Pakistan through a resolution passed by the G-B Legislative Assembly.
The MDBA in its meeting warned the government of Pakistan to desist from taking any hasty decision regarding the accession of G-B to Pakistan.
G-B is part of the disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir, a fact which is acknowledged both historically and internationally, MDBA members argued.
The speakers added that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is on the list of UNO issues that are yet to be resolved.
G-B being part of Kashmir was thus part of the dispute and any decision to accede it to Pakistan would undermine the Kashmir freedom movement, it said.
According to the UNO resolution in this regard, a plebiscite was to be held in Jammu and Kashmir allowing the people to decide through a referendum whether they want to accede with India or Pakistan or remain independent, MDBA said.
If the plebiscite was held in Indian held Kashmir and AJK, it would also be held in G-B according to UNO’s right of self determination granted to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, it said. Therefore, Pakistan could not accept any part of the disputed area until the whole issue was resolved, they said.
They reiterated that any endeavour for accession of G-B to Pakistan would be a betrayal of the principled stance over Kashmir issue by the government of Pakistan.http://tribune.com.pk/story/428330/disputed-territory-lawyers-oppose-g-bs-accession-to-pakistan/
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