Skardu-Legal Status of Skardu - VI

Skardu

Situated on the left bank of River Indus, Skardu is the principal town of Baltistan. It is bounded by river Shigar on the north, by Kiris and Parkuta on the east by Tilail on the South and by Astor and Rondu on the West. The district has been a part and parcel of J&K State uptill 1947. It was continuously administered by the J&K State Government. Gulab Singh gained the control of this territory by virtue of clause 4 of Lahore treaty of 1846 which was ratified in the treaty of Amritsar, 1846, between British Government and Maharaja Gulab Singh vide its article No.1. Skardu is the central town in Baltistan. 

A Wazir Wazarat was stationed here by J&K State Government and Kargil tehsil was a part of his jurisdiction. Skardu was a part of State revenue and judicial systems. Its revenue was assessed from time to time and there are settlement reports available which describe the quantum and method of revenue collection. For instance, the assessment notes by Major J. L. Kaye, settlement Commissioner appointed by Maharaja Pratap Singh’s Government, printed at Ranbir Prakash Press, Jammu in 1904 A.D. states that the following illaqas’ are also parts of Skardu.

Illaqa Haramosh-Rondu-Shigar-Kiris-Parkutta-Tolti-Khapalu-Charbat. He proposes (page 6) that "the cost of settlement of these lands should be recovered from the Rajas under the usual rules. The Rajas will with their allowances, all be in receipt of an income of Rs. 300/- a year" and the cost of the settlement will not be a large demand. Skardu fell to Pakistani raiders on August 14, 1948. Uptill then it was ruled by the Government headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, which was appointed by Maharaja in March, 1948. The last Wazir Wazarat of Skardu was an officer from Jammu, Mr. Amar Nath Pragal. 

He was brutally killed by the invaders and the District treasury ransacked, which even at that time contained Ninety thousand and odd Rupees in Indian currency. The local administration was mostly manned by officials hailing from Jammu and Kashmir provinces. Many of them managed to escape, a number of them were taken prisoners. These were to return only after an exchange of political prisoners between India and Pakistan and were absorbed in State Government cadres.