New Delhi, March 14

A large chunk of the Gilgit-Baltistan area, part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has been allegedly occupied by neighbouring North-West Frontier Province, triggering protests in the Shia-dominated region, also claimed by India as part of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir state.Large contingents of Pakistan paramilitary troopers have been deployed in the apprehension of trouble brewing in the occupied 25 km border area that connects divided Gilgit-Baltistan with the Khyber Pakthtunkhwa province, says a news report in “Baad-e-Shimaal”, an Urdu daily in PoK.“And the Gilgit-Baltistan government is watching like a mute spectator,” the daily said in its cover of the Monday edition.“The provincial government has deployed Chitral forces in the area after illegally taking over and including the occupied mineral-rich chunk of land in its territory.” A lawmaker, Sarfaraz Shah, has reportedly written a letter in protest against the “territorial aggression” to the government of the frontier province asking it to vacate the land.But the government has denied the allegation and dismissed the lawmaker’s protest, saying it was part of land forms and “deploying paramilitary Chitral forces is our right”, the daily said.The report came after alarm bells rang in the Indian security establishment following Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops being spotted at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) along PoK where the Chinese government is building a Jhelum-Neelam 970 MW Hydel power project. —IANS

N-W Frontier Province takes chunk of territory

• Shia-dominated region Gilgit-Baltistan, which falls in PoK, is claimed by India as part of the disputed territory
• A chunk of the area has allegedly been occupied by Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province
• Pak troopers have been deployed in the occupied 25-km border area fearing trouble, says a newspaper report
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