Abstract:
Gilgit Baltistan constitutes the North and North-eastern part of Pakistan. The region has strategic significance to the country as it links the country with China. It is also abundant with diverse natural resources, chief among those is water. Gilgit Baltistan hosts the longest glaciers, outside the Polar Regions, in the world. It has around 7000 glaciers. Hence, the region is an important source of fresh water. Sectarianism has threatened the societal fabric of Pakistan’s Gilgit Baltistan region. The region has been experiencing successive waves of sectarian upsurge since the 1970s. The worst incidents that stand out are: the ‘Lashkar Kashi’ in 1988 and the chain of Sunni killings that ensued as a result of Agha Ziauddin’s assassination in 2005. The study suggests that a gradual increase in sectarian incidents has the potential to generate a deadly conflict in the future. The purpose of this study was to find out the root causes of sectarianism in the region and it applies Copenhagen School’s Securitization Theory to identify and emphasize upon the role of the securitizing actors and the relevant securitizing moves they have implemented or need to be implemented. The study explains why sectarianism needs to be securitized in and what important securitizing moves are vital for peace in the region. The study is interview-based and it has been complemented with secondary data. The interviews contained semi-structured and open-ended questions. Purposive sampling technique was employed for the sample size. The study is based on Case-Study research design. The time period for the case study was from 1970 to 2024. The study proved that sectarianism is indeed a threat to the peace and stability of the region and that securitization is indispensable for peace and stability.
