Washington, DC – On Thursday, a terrorist cell linked to Commander Molana Amir Hamza attacked a military vehicle with an IED in the Tangir valley of occupied Gilgit Baltistan. The explosive detonation killed the driver and injured four passengers, including a military major. According to Pakistani media sources, the authorities reacted promptly and launched a combing operation, killing two terrorists and injuring three more.
Before the incident, the terrorist group made a statement explaining that they are from the Diamer district of Gilgit Baltistan and carry out attacks against Pakistani armed forces, including secret agencies such as ISI and MI, as well as the police. They stated that they do not target the Twelver-Shia, Shia-Ismailia, Sunni, or Ahle-Hadith religious communities. They further clarified that they do not hurt civilian personnel from departments such as health, education, or forestry.
They claimed that the Pakistani armed forces use a divide-and-rule strategy to control Gilgit Baltistan. In a statement to Gilgit Baltistan’s Shia and Sunni leaders, including Aga Rahat, the group asserted that if sectarian attacks have occurred on Aga Rahat or Qazi Nisar in the past, it is the handiwork of Pakistan’s military and their agents to sow discord and division among locals. Furthermore, they claimed that Pakistan’s rulers and military collude with Jewish and Christian global powers to undermine peace and stability in Pakistan. According to the spokesperson, Pakistan’s armed forces have exposed themselves and risked their lives by assisting Israel in its fight against Hamas.
In addition to terrorism, many local activists believe that the strategic location and presence of rare earths is a key source of instability in Gilgit-Baltistan. The Pakistani military wishes to exploit the resources without sharing revenue or compensation with the locals. Pakistan has enforced an illegal and unconstitutional land reform act in Gilgit Baltistan, allowing natural resource abuse to continue. When locals demand a fair share, Pakistan denies royalties, citing the political glitch that the land remains a part of the disputed Jammu-Kashmir and therefore not eligible for constitutional and economic rights.
Tangir and the surrounding valleys of Gilgit Baltistan are a globally recognized mineralogical hotspot. China’s infrastructure upgrade initiatives are helping Pakistan develop the occupied region into a rare-earth hub at the crossroads of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Given that rare earth element processing and supply are concentrated in a few countries, Gilgit Baltistan’s geographical location complements major global economies’ efforts to diversify rare earth supply chains.
Tangir is abundant in monazite, chevkinite, lanthanum, samarium, praseodymium, neodymium, cerium, titanium, thorium, and other rare earth elements. Titanium is a strong, lightweight metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is utilized in aerospace, medical implants, marine applications, and chemical processing equipment.
Neodymium, Samarium, and Praseodymium are utilized in space exploration, electric car motors, wind turbines, and high-end consumer electronics. Cerium is used in vehicle converters to lower emissions. Lanthanum is used in petroleum refining as well as medical treatments for renal illness. Monazite and Thorium are radioactive metals used as a cleaner, safer, and more cost-effective alternative to uranium as a fuel in next-generation nuclear reactors, notably molten salt reactors.
The political situation is deteriorating since, in addition to China, Pakistan is now asking American and Central Asian companies to join the resource exploitation in occupied Gilgit Baltistan. Recently, Kazakhstan and Indonesia have expressed interest in investing in gold and copper mining in Gilgit Baltistan.
Pakistan’s close ties to Saudi Arabia and Israel, combined with deteriorating relations with Iran, are ripping at its social fabric. Poverty and strategic isolation are forcing the Pakistani government and military to pursue dangerous actions that will only lead to more instability and societal disintegration. The leadership’s shortsightedness allows Pakistani military generals to become wealthy at the expense of national cohesion and identity.
Under the conditions, the people of Gilgit Baltistan should remain united and continue their efforts to expel the occupying Pakistani colonial overlords, who are only interested in exploiting and abusing natural riches and transit routes while denying natives their due political and constitutional rights. The persistence and fortitude will eventually help the inhabitants of Gilgit Baltistan join Ladakh as constitutional citizens of India and protect both territory and identity.
Senge Sering
Senge Sering is a native of Pakistan-occupied-Gilgit-Baltistan and runs the Washington DC based Gilgit Baltistan Studies
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