The Gilgit-Baltistan Factor in India-Pakistan Dynamics

Abstract

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, is swiftly ascending on the geopolitical horizon in the wake of coveted China Pakistan Economic Corridor being built through it. Given India’s strident reservations on CPEC based on its extant claim on the region, GB has gained considerable focus in the India-Pakistan equations as well. GB represents a stark reality that stares at India’s broader quest against burgeoning Sino- Pakistan nexus on its periphery. The paper relooks at India-Pakistan dynamics-bilateral and geopolitical through the lens of GB while listing out India’s approach, position, and implications vis-à-vis GB.