In a dire letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Gilgit-Baltistan native Sabbah Uddin warns of a “complete administrative collapse” in the strategically crucial region. Citing police mutiny, flood devastation, trade blockades, and judicial paralysis, he paints a picture of unraveling governance. The stakes, he argues, are national—demanding immediate federal action to avert deeper unrest.
42 dead after massive cloudburst in IIOJK’s Kishtwar
India, US troops to undertake joint military exercise next month
US warns India of sanctions, more tariffs if Trump-Putin Alaska talks fail
The complete letter is below:
Excellency Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif
The Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister’s Office
Islamabad, Pakistan
Subject: Complete Administrative Collapse in Gilgit-Baltistan
Respected Prime Minister,
This is not a routine letter of appeal. It is an alarm. Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Pakistan’s northern gateway and a region of immense strategic and economic significance, is sliding rapidly towards an administrative breakdown. The failure, neglect, and inefficiency of the federal representatives, the Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police and others have created a governance vacuum with far-reaching consequences for civil society, economic stability, and national credibility.
Gilgit-Baltistan’s special constitutional and geopolitical status is not ceremonial. It lies at the tri-junction of China, India, and Afghanistan, and serves as the backbone of CPEC’s northern corridor. Every disruption here reverberates far beyond the region and directly affects Pakistan’s strategic and economic interests.
Today, that governance framework is under severe strain. By the time I decided to write to you:
- The GB police sit-in over lawful allowances has already spiralled into a dangerous situation. Dozens of armed, trained personnel have abandoned their posts, including those guarding Chinese nationals, CPEC projects, and other strategic installations. The risk is no longer hypothetical—these officers remain in possession of state-issued firearms, and the protests have the potential to turn into an armed mutiny.
- Across GB, the devastations due to flash floods are rampant. In Danyor, Sultanabad and other areas across the region, deadly floods and landslides destroyed vital water channels. Volunteers died attempting repairs while the administration issued empty assurances. The damage remains unrepaired—a damning indictment of official paralysis.
- The Sost dry port, Pakistan’s economic gateway to China, has been repeatedly blocked by aggrieved traders. Each day of inactivity damages national revenue, disrupts CPEC trade, and erodes Chinese confidence in Pakistan’s reliability. The demands are progressively taking on the character of centrifugal nationalism.
- In Gilgit, lawyers have launched a sustained protest against judicial and administrative neglect, boycotting court proceedings and staging rallies. Their demands have gone unanswered. The prolonged boycott has paralyzed the justice system, leaving citizens without legal recourse and further deepening public distrust in state institutions.
- Throughout Gilgit-Baltistan, the people of the region suffer debilitating power outages. Repeated promises from the administration have delivered nothing. Public frustration is reaching flashpoint levels.
This administrative collapse is not merely bureaucratic inefficiency—it has tangible strategic and societal consequences. Governance failure is eroding public trust, paralysing critical institutions, and risking economic setbacks that affect not only GB but Pakistan’s international commitments, particularly under CPEC. The vacuum of responsive governance is intensifying local grievances and threatening to escalate into a crisis that will be far more difficult to manage if immediate corrective action is not taken.
‘State Endangerment’: Business Leader Warns PM Shehbaz of Governance Collapse in Gilgit-Baltistan
PM directs immediate completion of IT Park in Islamabad
Missile, nuclear capabilities make defence impregnable: Dar
Prime Minister, this is not mere inefficiency—it is state endangerment. The current GB administration is failing in its most basic duties: securing strategic assets, responding to crises, and protecting the lives and livelihoods of citizens. This is the kind of instability that history will record as a failure of national leadership if left unchecked.
At the present time, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are now in an extremely sensitive and volatile state, with public frustration reaching a breaking point. Due to the persistent non-action and apathy of the local political leadership and the bureaucracy, legitimate grievances are being left unaddressed, allowing tensions to escalate unchecked. This vacuum of responsive governance is rapidly eroding public trust, and the situation is deteriorating toward a point where restoring order and confidence will require far greater effort and cost.
I urge immediate action to remove and replace the Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police, DIG Police (Headquarters) and other negligent federal representatives without delay; deploy federal security forces to all abandoned posts safeguarding Chinese nationals, CPEC projects, and other sensitive sites; establish direct Prime Ministerial oversight of Gilgit-Baltistan’s administration through Ministry of Interior until stability is restored. The Federal Ministry for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan has shown such a record of failure that entrusting him to set things right is no longer possible.
Prime Minister, Gilgit-Baltistan is not a remote periphery; it is a region of strategic and economic significance. Administrative neglect and governance failure here risks not only local unrest but also undermines national priorities and Pakistan’s international standing. Immediate, decisive leadership is essential to restore governance, public confidence, and institutional effectiveness.
With an unshakable bond to my land and its people, and witness to the growing unrest,
Sabbah Uddin
An indigenous son of Gilgit-Baltistan — the nation’s northern sentinel
President & Group Chief Executive Polaris Group (Pakistan)
Director & Country Advisor BR IMCC: Belt & Road International Medical Cooperation Center, Kyrgyzstan (Foreign Secretariat Unit Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Hospital Cooperation Alliance
Anniversary of Radio Pakistan being observed today
Death anniversary of Nazia Hassan observed
Posters in IIOJK greet Pakistan on Independence Day
India top ICC ODI rankings, Pakistan slip to 5th place
Stay tuned to Baaghi TV for more. Download our app for the latest news, updates & interesting content!
