Despite facing widespread rejection, Pakistan’s rulers so far remain adamant upon changing the legal status of Gilgit-Baltistan to a province, announcing general elections there on 15 November 2020. The rulers are hiding behind the flimsy claim that declaring Gilgit-Baltistan a province is to further the development agenda. However, why can development not be provided to the long suffering people of Gilgit-Baltistan without changing its status?! What so-called development have the existing provinces ever been provided under the current failed system in seven decades?! For decades, no previous Pakistani government has ever dared to formally integrate Gilgit-Baltistan as a province. Leaving Gilgit-Baltistan with a special status strengthens the demand for the whole of Kashmir to be liberated from Indian occupation, by ensuring the Line of Control remains a disputed border. The attempt to make Gilgit-Baltistan a province even contradicts the political map that the Bajwa-Imran regime itself published only recently, on 4 August 2020, which laid claim to occupied Muslim Land well beyond the Line of Control.

Changing the status of Gilgit-Baltistan is open betrayal of the Kashmir cause. Declaration of Gilgit-Baltistan as a province strengthens Modi’s stance to make the Line of Control a permanent international border, increasing pressure upon Azad (Liberated) Jammu Kashmir to become a province too. Yet, marching upon the orders of the US, the Bajwa-Imran regime insists that Occupied Kashmir is abandoned to the control of Hindu State, despite the prolonged and patient struggle of the Muslims, in which they spared no sacrifice, shaking the demoralized and internally divided Indian army to its core by the raw power of their Imaan in Allah (swt).

O Muslims of Pakistan! Force the deceiving Bajwa-Imran regime into retreat in its bold attempt to abandon Occupied Kashmir. It first restrained our excellent armed forces from liberating Occupied Kashmir by declaring that war is not an option and Jihad as enmity to Muslims. Now, it is working to strengthen Modi’s fragile grip over Occupied Kashmir by converting the Line of Control into a permanent border. Our Lord, the Lord of all Creation, Allah (swt) rejected the abandoning of the Islamic Lands to the occupation of the enemy. Allah (swt) commanded,

[وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ]

“And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and Fitnah is worse than killing.” [Surah al-Baqarah 2:191]. Far from declaring Jihad as an enmity to Muslims, our beloved RasuAllah (saw), the Master of all the Prophets (as) warned us, «مَا تَرَكَ قَوْمٌ الْجِهَادَ إلاّ ذُلّوا» “No people abandon Jihad except that they are humiliated.” (Ahmad).

Let us persevere on the truth until the right is restored by that which was right from the beginning, the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood. It is the Khilafah that will rule us by the commands of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw), granting us the joy of worshipping Our Lord in all that the state implements of laws. It is the Khilafah that will force the retreat of our enemies from the pure lands of Muslims, whether that of Kashmir or the Blessed Lands surrounding Masjid Al-Aqsa. Arise O Muslims, and put your backs into re-establishing the Khilafah. Arise O Muslims, your time draws near.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Pakistan