Balawaristan National Front (Naji)

Balawaristan National Front بلاورستان نيشنل فرنٹ
Abbreviation	BNF
Leader	Nawaz Khan Naji
Spokesperson	Shafqat Inqilabi^[citation needed]
Founder	Nawaz Khan Naji
Founded	28 December 1989; 34 years ago (1989-12-28)
Preceded by	Balawaristan National Front
Headquarters	Ghizer, Pakistan
Ideology	Autonomy for Gilgit-Baltistan Self-determination Anti-taxation
Colors	Green
Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly	1 / 33
Election symbol
Revolver[1]
Politics of Pakistan Political parties Elections

The Balawaristan National Front (Urdu: بلاورستان نيشنل فرنٹ , romanized: Balāwaristān Naishanal Franṭ abbr. BNF), more commonly known as the BNF, is a Pakistani political party of Gilgit-Baltistan. It was founded by Nawaz Khan Naji in 1989. The party calls for Gilgit-Baltistan to be given autonomy while still remaining a part of the Pakistani federation, and to be declared the fifth province of Pakistan.^[2]

The party is led by Nawaz Khan Naji and has been represented in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly by a single member, the aforementioned Nawaz Khan Naji, since 2011.^[3][4][5][6]

The party has high amounts of support in Ghizer District, where the founder of BNF Naji is from, and from smaller isolated pockets throughout the rest of Gilgit-Baltistan.^[7]

Ideology

Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy

The main struggle of BNF is the autonomy for Gilgit-Baltistan. It calls for autonomy for Gilgit-Baltistan while being a part of Pakistan. It believes that Gilgit-Baltistan is a disputed territory.^[2] The BNF believes that Gilgit-Baltistan is a distinct entity and is separate from the rest of the Kashmir region.^[2] It also believes that the rulings of the Supreme Court of Pakistan should not be effective in Gilgit-Baltistan on account of it being disputed.^[2] The main aim of the BNF is to make Gilgit-Baltistan a self-governing, autonomous, constitutionally-recognized region within Pakistan, similar to Azad Kashmir, until the Kashmir Plebiscite.^[2][8]

Economics

The BNF has expressed support for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.^[9]

Anti-taxation

The BNF believes that Gilgit-Baltistan should be considered a "tax-free zone" and that the Federal Board of Revenue has no right to collect taxes from Gilgit-Baltistan, because Gilgit-Baltistan is currently a disputed territory.^[10]

Self-determination

The BNF also believes in self-determination, and believes that the final say of Gilgit-Baltistan's status belongs with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.^[6]

History

Further information: Balawaristan National Front

The Balawaristan National Front was formed by Nawaz Khan Naji, Mohammad Rafiq and Shujaat Ali and Abdul Hamid Khan, but has broken into two parties since then, the BNF(H) and BNF(N). This was because Abdul Hamid Khan had far more extreme views and was much more strongly nationalist than Naji, who restricted his demands to autonomy. The BNF(H) was banned by the government of Pakistan.^[7]

Electoral history

In 2011, the BNF fielded Nawaz Khan Naji, in Constituency GBA-19 (Ghizer-I) in order to win the by-poll that was occurring there. He won with 8,299 votes, and over 3,000 more votes than his closest competitor, Karim Ahmed Shah of the PML(N). After his victory, Naji was reported as having said "We have contested elections in the past but it is our first win in the legislative assembly".^[3][4][5]

Upon taking the oath of office on June 6, 2011, Naji promised to remain faithful to the state of Pakistan, and reaffirmed his belief that while his party wished to see Gilgit-Baltistan be a separate state, the final status of Gilgit-Baltistan had to be decided by the people of Gilgit-Baltistan rather than just one person or party.^[6]

Although he was the only nationalist member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, he was welcomed in and was given support by other members after he took his oath. One member of the assembly, Independent politician Deedar Ali, said (while talking about Naji): "If others try to sideline a member in the assembly, we will support him".^[6]

Naji once again ran in the 2015 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election to represent his constituency, GBA-19 (Ghizer-I), this time as an Independent politician, and won the contest with 5,259 votes (26.99% of the vote), narrowly edging out the PML(N)'s candidate, Shakeel Ahmed.^[11] After winning the election, he switched his official party allegiance to "Balawaristan National Front".^[12]

The BNF did not officially field any candidates once again in the 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election, but Naji once again ran to represent his constituency, GBA-19 (Ghizer-I), in 2020. Preliminary and unofficial results have shown Naji is the winner in this constituency once again, winning 6,208 votes, over 1,000 more votes than his closest competitor, Pir Jalal Ali Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party, who received 4,967 votes. He still claims himself as the leader of the BNF(N) on all social media websites, though, and certain news outlets have reported this as a victory for the BNF(N),^[13] even though he officially has run as an independent candidate.

Leaders

List of Chairman of Balawaristan National Front
Order	Image	Presidents	Year	Rationale
1		Nawaz Khan Naji	1989–present	First term

See also

• Nawaz Khan Naji
• Kashmir Conflict
• Gilgit-Baltistan
• Balawaristan

References

1. "FINAL LIST OF CONTESTED CANDIDATES WITH ALLOCATED OF SYMBOL WHO HAVE FILED NOMINATION PAPERS WITH RETURNING OFFICERS OF 24 CONSTITUENCIES OF GILGIT-BALTISTAN" (PDF). contesting Candidates 2020.pdf. ELECTION COMMISSION GILGIT-BALTISTAN. 13 November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
2. Yusufzai, Arshad. "Contested status". Contested status | Political Economy | thenews.com.pk. The News International. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020. Nawaz Khan Naji, head of Balawaristan National Front, partly approved the judgment of the SC by saying that GB is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India. "However, the court has exceeded its jurisdiction as it cannot issue orders to GB. The Supreme Court can only issue orders to the government of Pakistan as GB does not come under its jurisdiction. The SCP cannot implement the judgment either," he said.
   
   Nawaz Khan Naji added that the people of GB want full integration with Pakistan. "A win-win situation for both the federation and the people of GB will be to give autonomy to GB similar to the one practised in Azad Jammu and Kashmir."
3. "Gilgit-Baltistan shocker: Nationalist candidate wins Ghizer by-poll". Gilgit-Baltistan shocker: Nationalist candidate wins Ghizer by-poll | The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune. 30 April 2011. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020. GILGIT/GAKHUCH: The founder of the Balwaristan National Front (BNF), Nawaz Khan Naji, won the by-election in Gilgit-Baltistan's Ghizer constituency, hometown of Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah, on Friday.
4. "Nawaz Khan Naji wins G-B by-elections". Nawaz Khan Naji wins G-B by-elections | The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune. 29 April 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2020. Nawaz Khan Naji from the Balawarastan National Front won the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly by-elections in the L-A 19 constituency of Ghazar on Friday.
5. "GBLA ELECTIONS-2009" (PDF). contested 2009.pdf. ELECTION COMMISSION GILGIT -BALTISTAN. 2009–2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
6. "Nawaz Khan Naji takes oath of GBLA membership". Nawaz Khan Naji takes oath of GBLA membership - PAMIR TIMES. Pamir Times. 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
7. "The curious case of BNF-H". The News International (newspaper). 26 May 2019. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
8. "Pakistan Grants Provisional Provincial Status to Gilgit-Baltistan". Minority Reporter - Pakistan Grants Provisional Provincial Status to Gilgit-Baltistan. Minority Reporter. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020. Nawaz Khan Naji, a former member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, said the majority of the population, from day one, has been in favor of being part of Pakistan and wants complete constitutional authority. However, Naji believes that Gilgit-Baltistan should be granted a status like Pakistan-administered Kashmir until the Kashmir issue is resolved.
   "I favor this stance because I do not want any international complications in the settlement of the Kashmir dispute or a situation India might take advantage of."
9. Zahid, Khadija (2 April 2017). "Fate of Gilgit Baltistan under CPEC". Fate of Gilgit Baltistan under CPEC | Pakistan Today. Pakistan Today. Archived from the original on 2 April 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2020. "We have no issues regarding China Pakistan Economic Corridor," said Nawaz Khan Naji, Head Balawaristan National Front.
10. "Lawmakers want GB declared tax-free zone". Lawmakers want GB declared tax-free zone - Newspaper - DAWN.COM. DAWN.COM. 14 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2020. Taking part in the discussion opposition lawmaker Nawaz Khan Naji said it would be considered discrimination against the GB people by the centre if the region was not declared a tax-free zone.
    "When we demand constitutional rights, it is argued that GB is a disputed territory, but if GB is a disputed region than how FBR rules are applicable here," he questioned.
11. "Elections 2015 RESULT OF ELECTION, 2015". ELECTION COMMISSION GB. ELECTION COMMISSION GILGIT BALTISTAN. 2015. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
12. "MEMBERS". Members - Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly. Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly. 2015–2020. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020.
13. "GB ELECTIONS: PTI TAKES LEAD IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN". GB ELECTIONS: PTI TAKES LEAD IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN - SUCH TV. SuchTV. 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.

External links