A ceasefire agreement was made and a line of control (LOC) was established. Towards the end of 1948, both sides solidified their positions in Kashmir. In 1948, Pakistani armed forces entered the war. This led to the First Indo-Pakistani War, also known as the First Kashmir War that was fought between the Indian soldiers and the Pakistani tribesmen. Hari Singh made a plea to India to aid him against this anarchy and in doing so ceded Kashmir to India. This eventually led to Pakistani tribesmen and militia crossing into Kashmir, in an attempt to take over the city of Srinagar, whilst looting and plundering the region. During this period of ambivalence in Kashmir, there were outbursts of riots in certain districts of Kashmir against the ruler. But Hari Singh decided that Kashmir would be independent, at least for a while, because he feared that the Kashmiri Muslims would not be happy with India while the Hindus and Sikhs would not be happy in Pakistan. This had to do with India being a secular state. Although Kashmir was a Muslim majority state headed by a Hindu ruler, Mountbatten recommended that Kashmir should go to India. However, when it came to the region of Kashmir, the situation unfolded differently. India, enraged, annexed Junagadh on the pretext that the Pakistani Prime minister Muhammed Ali Jinnah stated that Hindus and Muslims could not live in one nation and because they feared riots. Mountbatten recommended that Junagadh should go to India not only because it was a largely populated state but also because it was completely surrounded by India. The ruler of Junagadh was a Muslim, who wished to accede to Pakistan, against the wishes of his people. The state of Junagadh was also faced with such a conflict. However, this was not the only such case. While the majority of the population was Muslim, the ruler was a Hindu, Maharaja Hari Singh.
In general, the Muslim majority states went to Pakistan while the Hindu majority states went to India, although India was a secular nation. To quote Mountbatten, “Typically, geographical circumstance and collective interests, et cetera will be the components to be considered.
At the time of the partition, princely states had the right to choose whether they were to cede to India or Pakistan. The British India Empire was made up of multiple princely states (states that were allegiant to the British but headed by a monarch) along with states directly headed by the British. The British, led by the then Governor-General Louis Mountbatten, divided the British India empire into the states of India and Pakistan. In August of 1947, India and Pakistan were on the cusp of independence from the British. To understand this conflict, it is essential to look back into the history of the area. It has gained immense international attention given the fact that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and this conflict represents a threat to global security. The nations of India and Pakistan have fiercely contested each other over Kashmir, fighting three major wars and two minor wars. The demands also state that a majority of the people employed by the China Overseas Port Holding Company are from outside Gwadar, calling for giving priority to locals, the report said.The region of Kashmir is one of the most volatile areas in the world. They also demanded that all wine stores in Gwadar be shut, and to allow border with Iran. The protesters have also called for getting rid of unnecessary check-posts and not to “insult” citizens in the name of security. On the government requesting more time to meet the demands, he said that 70 years have already been provided and that there is no option now other than the implementation of the demands as soon as possible, the report added. Rehman said the movement would continue till the protesters’ demands are met. He added that on the call of trade unions, a shutter down strike is also being observed in Ormara and Pasni. Fishermen across the district also protested by not turning to the sea. A shutter down strike was also observed in Gwadar on Thursday, with shops and markets shut across the city. Rehman told Dawn that the protesters blocked the Makran Coastal Highway from four different locations on Thursday, further extending the agitation. They have vowed to continue their protest till their demands are met.
Protesters from Gwadar, Turbat, Pishkan, Zamran, Buleda, Ormara and Pasni are taking part in the ‘Gwadar Ko Huqooq Do Tehreek’ (Give Rights to Gwadar Movement) led by Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, a local leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).