By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: An influential contractor in Chitral is again using substandard material in the reconstruction of a bridge in Yarkhun valley after the collapse of another bridge in the area days after its completion killing three persons, the local residents alleged.
Talking to Dawn, they also accused contractor Mohammad Khan of changing the design of the bridge and decreasing its width in connivance with the officials of the works department though Rs140 million had been sanctioned for the project.
When the residents held a protest demonstration against the poor quality work on the bridge connecting their area with other parts of the district, the contractor assured them that fresh and quality material would be used in the project. However, a few days later he restarted work at the site using the same old stuff.
When the bridge collapsed in August 2006, the local residents had collected its material including strings, bolts and plunks and stored them in a nearby field. With the passage of time most of the material got damaged due to weathering and became unfit for use.
The residents of Yarkhun said the reconstruction of the only bridge connecting their area with other parts of the district had been in the cold storage for the over three years.
Official sources said the executive engineer works had imposed Rs1.4 million fine on the contractor and also recommended his blacklisting for failing to complete the project on time but so far action has not been taken against him.
Public representatives in the area said Mohammad Khan was also responsible for inordinate delay and poor quality work in major development projects in the district. They said misuse of funds, delay and poor quality work had been detected in a number of projects.
They cited the examples of the Booni-Shandur road, Molkhow road and Mastuj bridge projects which were awarded to the same contractor wholly or partially and were still incomplete.
When contacted, contractor Mohammad Khan rejected all the allegations and said to avoid backlash of the residents of Yarkhun, MNA Shahzada Mohiuddin and MPA Ghulam Mohammad were trying to make him a scapegoat and tarnish his image among the local people.
He said the elected representatives had tried to award the project to their cronies by floating tenders three times which caused delay in completion of the work. He said neither he was using the old material in the reconstruction of the bridge nor had reduced its width.
About extra payment made to him in the Attahk water project, he said the earlier estimate was made by an inexperienced consultant, after which another consultant raised the cost of the completed work, adding most of the payment had still not been made to him.--Dawn
Friday, December 25, 2009
Discord over Norwegian-funded project in Chitral
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: The Rs1 billion Norwegian funded Chitral Integrated Area Development Project (CIADP) will not produce desired results and is poised to create political polarisation in the area due to lack of clear plan and flaws in its execution system, development experts pointed out.
They said though the Norwegian government had taken a good step for development of Chitral, it did not take all the stakeholders into confidence before launching the mega project with the current district nazim from Jamaat-i-Islami as the head of its steering committee. Besides, questions are also being raised why Islamabad-based contractors, the Thrive, had been hired for management consultancy when there were non-profit making agencies that had already carried out a number of development projects in the valley.
About 10 to 20 per cent of the funds would go to the contractors, they said. Furthermore, there will be unnecessary expenditures on office hiring in Islamabad and Chitral by the contractors. Since the early 1980s, a number of NGOs have been working in the development sector and none of them has ever hired a contractor for execution of its schemes. Projects identification is done by the local communities and the schemes are executed on the basis of their feasibility. The contractors for CIADP have, however, neither taken local elected representatives of mainstream political parties into confidence nor briefed them about the schemes.
The project document is also silent on the much needed programme component - physically productive infrastructure projects. Besides, the contractors have not been able to satisfy the proposed implementing partners, community representatives and the beneficiaries on the modality of the programme and recruitment of the staff. The focus of the contractors has been on employing low-paid staff without considering its adverse impact on the quality of management.
MNA Shahzada Mohiuddin expressed regret that he was neither taken into confidence nor briefed about the project. He said the mandate of the district government had already ended and the future of the system was ambiguous. He claimed that the provincial government had also expressed its displeasure over the way it had been bypassed in launching the project. “The CIADP has been developed as if it is a slush fund for the district nazim. This is not good for Chitral. One person should not be in the deciding chair keeping in view the geo-political landscape of Chitral,” the MNA said, adding the JI nazim was taking undue political benefit from the project propagating that he had brought the funds for development of Chitral.
Mr Mohiuddin also objected to the formation of the project steering committee and said the area MNA, MPAs and representatives of all political parties should be included in it. He said instead of the district nazim the committee should be headed by the DCO who represents the provincial government and coordinates all development works. The district government overlooks only the portion of work controlled by the district assembly which is only a fraction of the overall development projects and does not include the provincial annual development plan and many other funding sources through the federal and provincial governments.Besides, the handlers of the funds are selecting projects sites without involving experts for feasibility study. Four areas have initially been selected and are being given lump-sump money with the task to carry out unspecified projects. These areas are: Beori valley,
Kargin, Chuinj villages in Mastuj tehsil, Nishkow in Molkhow and Runmbur in Kalash valley.
The MNA said projects launched in these areas would not complete in four to five years because the localities neither have local support organisations nor sufficient manpower. It would have been more productive had the fund utilised for the development of infrastructure in whole the district. He said educational institutions lacked buildings and primary schools having two rooms each accommodated six classes. The funds could have been used for providing missing facilities including classrooms in schools, he added.
When contacted for comments, Terje Thodesen, Counsellor Development, and Terje Barstad, Minsiter Counsellor, at the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad brushed aside the apprehensions and said they had completed all requirements and formalities before launching the project.
They said the project visualised in 2005 was launched on June 23, 2009, and would be completed in the year 2014 covering all parts of Chitral. They said the project proposals had come from the district government. During a Logical Framework Approach (LFA) workshop in 2007, all the stakeholders including the local NGOs were taken on board. In December 2008, they also held a meeting with the officials of the provincial local government department in Peshawar. The terms of reference were advertised and given to the local people.
They said the Islamabad-based management company, the Thrive, won the project as no other firm took part in the bidding which was open to all. Besides, the aim to award the project to Thrive was that it is the neutral firm having no political or whatsoever affiliations in the district. The steering committee is headed by the district nazim while a representative of the firm is its secretary. They said funds were not given under the direct control of the district nazim as the project was being executed by the company while the embassy oversaw its working. The hiring of staff for the project was also carried out by the company, they added. They said they were always ready to brief any political representative about the project, but so far nobody has contacted them.--Dawn
ISLAMABAD: The Rs1 billion Norwegian funded Chitral Integrated Area Development Project (CIADP) will not produce desired results and is poised to create political polarisation in the area due to lack of clear plan and flaws in its execution system, development experts pointed out.
They said though the Norwegian government had taken a good step for development of Chitral, it did not take all the stakeholders into confidence before launching the mega project with the current district nazim from Jamaat-i-Islami as the head of its steering committee. Besides, questions are also being raised why Islamabad-based contractors, the Thrive, had been hired for management consultancy when there were non-profit making agencies that had already carried out a number of development projects in the valley.
About 10 to 20 per cent of the funds would go to the contractors, they said. Furthermore, there will be unnecessary expenditures on office hiring in Islamabad and Chitral by the contractors. Since the early 1980s, a number of NGOs have been working in the development sector and none of them has ever hired a contractor for execution of its schemes. Projects identification is done by the local communities and the schemes are executed on the basis of their feasibility. The contractors for CIADP have, however, neither taken local elected representatives of mainstream political parties into confidence nor briefed them about the schemes.
The project document is also silent on the much needed programme component - physically productive infrastructure projects. Besides, the contractors have not been able to satisfy the proposed implementing partners, community representatives and the beneficiaries on the modality of the programme and recruitment of the staff. The focus of the contractors has been on employing low-paid staff without considering its adverse impact on the quality of management.
MNA Shahzada Mohiuddin expressed regret that he was neither taken into confidence nor briefed about the project. He said the mandate of the district government had already ended and the future of the system was ambiguous. He claimed that the provincial government had also expressed its displeasure over the way it had been bypassed in launching the project. “The CIADP has been developed as if it is a slush fund for the district nazim. This is not good for Chitral. One person should not be in the deciding chair keeping in view the geo-political landscape of Chitral,” the MNA said, adding the JI nazim was taking undue political benefit from the project propagating that he had brought the funds for development of Chitral.
Mr Mohiuddin also objected to the formation of the project steering committee and said the area MNA, MPAs and representatives of all political parties should be included in it. He said instead of the district nazim the committee should be headed by the DCO who represents the provincial government and coordinates all development works. The district government overlooks only the portion of work controlled by the district assembly which is only a fraction of the overall development projects and does not include the provincial annual development plan and many other funding sources through the federal and provincial governments.Besides, the handlers of the funds are selecting projects sites without involving experts for feasibility study. Four areas have initially been selected and are being given lump-sump money with the task to carry out unspecified projects. These areas are: Beori valley,
Kargin, Chuinj villages in Mastuj tehsil, Nishkow in Molkhow and Runmbur in Kalash valley.
The MNA said projects launched in these areas would not complete in four to five years because the localities neither have local support organisations nor sufficient manpower. It would have been more productive had the fund utilised for the development of infrastructure in whole the district. He said educational institutions lacked buildings and primary schools having two rooms each accommodated six classes. The funds could have been used for providing missing facilities including classrooms in schools, he added.
When contacted for comments, Terje Thodesen, Counsellor Development, and Terje Barstad, Minsiter Counsellor, at the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad brushed aside the apprehensions and said they had completed all requirements and formalities before launching the project.
They said the project visualised in 2005 was launched on June 23, 2009, and would be completed in the year 2014 covering all parts of Chitral. They said the project proposals had come from the district government. During a Logical Framework Approach (LFA) workshop in 2007, all the stakeholders including the local NGOs were taken on board. In December 2008, they also held a meeting with the officials of the provincial local government department in Peshawar. The terms of reference were advertised and given to the local people.
They said the Islamabad-based management company, the Thrive, won the project as no other firm took part in the bidding which was open to all. Besides, the aim to award the project to Thrive was that it is the neutral firm having no political or whatsoever affiliations in the district. The steering committee is headed by the district nazim while a representative of the firm is its secretary. They said funds were not given under the direct control of the district nazim as the project was being executed by the company while the embassy oversaw its working. The hiring of staff for the project was also carried out by the company, they added. They said they were always ready to brief any political representative about the project, but so far nobody has contacted them.--Dawn
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Chitral needs strong police to check incursions
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: Fearing more criminal and anti-state activities from across the border in Afghanistan, people of Chitral have asked the federal government to strengthen the local police and border security force on a priority basis.
Though Chitral has remained unaffected from Taliban militancy so far, its over 300-km-long poorly watched porous border with the three provinces of Afghanistan - Wakhan, Nooristan and Kunar – has seen unchecked movement of Afghan nationals including smugglers and criminals into the valley. And the recent kidnapping of a Greek national from Kalash valley has further exposed the vulnerability of the district to such an eventuality.
Security experts believe that any long-term strategy to contain Taliban resurrection and keep the Malakand division from any future militant activity is fraught with failure until Chitral-Afghan border was protected through enhanced security measures.
The Chitral police with its current strength of about 1,050 personnel are poorly equipped and unable to meet growing security concerns besides discharging their routine duty in the district spreading over 14,850 square kilometres. Besides, most of the Chitral Scouts personnel which used to man the border till the withdrawal of Russian forces from Afghanistan in 1989 now remain posted out in Gilgit-Baltistan and the violence-hit districts of the NWFP.
As the dust settles on the military operation against Taliban militants, the federal government is all set to raise a strong police force of 11,000 personnel for the Malakand division which will replace the army to maintain peace in the region. Though Chitral is a
district of the Malakand division and has suffered huge economic losses due to the recent law and order situation and is at the risk of increased militancy through its borders with Afghanistan as well as Swat and Dir districts, the government has strangely kept it
out of the future security arrangement.
When contacted, MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin, however, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik had assured him that the district would get its share in the recruitment of 11,000 police personnel for the Malakand division. He said the minister was well aware of the security problems of the district and determined to strengthen the police and the border security fo
ISLAMABAD: Fearing more criminal and anti-state activities from across the border in Afghanistan, people of Chitral have asked the federal government to strengthen the local police and border security force on a priority basis.
Though Chitral has remained unaffected from Taliban militancy so far, its over 300-km-long poorly watched porous border with the three provinces of Afghanistan - Wakhan, Nooristan and Kunar – has seen unchecked movement of Afghan nationals including smugglers and criminals into the valley. And the recent kidnapping of a Greek national from Kalash valley has further exposed the vulnerability of the district to such an eventuality.
Security experts believe that any long-term strategy to contain Taliban resurrection and keep the Malakand division from any future militant activity is fraught with failure until Chitral-Afghan border was protected through enhanced security measures.
The Chitral police with its current strength of about 1,050 personnel are poorly equipped and unable to meet growing security concerns besides discharging their routine duty in the district spreading over 14,850 square kilometres. Besides, most of the Chitral Scouts personnel which used to man the border till the withdrawal of Russian forces from Afghanistan in 1989 now remain posted out in Gilgit-Baltistan and the violence-hit districts of the NWFP.
As the dust settles on the military operation against Taliban militants, the federal government is all set to raise a strong police force of 11,000 personnel for the Malakand division which will replace the army to maintain peace in the region. Though Chitral is a
district of the Malakand division and has suffered huge economic losses due to the recent law and order situation and is at the risk of increased militancy through its borders with Afghanistan as well as Swat and Dir districts, the government has strangely kept it
out of the future security arrangement.
When contacted, MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin, however, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik had assured him that the district would get its share in the recruitment of 11,000 police personnel for the Malakand division. He said the minister was well aware of the security problems of the district and determined to strengthen the police and the border security fo
Displaced people in Sonoghor still await rehabilitation
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: Despite the passage of over two years, no practical steps have been taken either by the federal or provincial governments to provide relief to the affected residents of Sonoghor village in the Mastuj tehsil of Chitral who were displaced by one of the biggest natural catastrophes in the history of the district.
On June 27, 2007, a glacier overlooking the scenic village burst and the avalanche/floodwater swept away houses, orchards, standing crops and other property. The mayhem continued for over three days and again hit the village one year later. As a result, as many as 115 families were displaced while 38 houses completely buried under the flood. The displaced residents have since been living in inhuman conditions in makeshift camps in nearby villages. Initially, they were provided relief items by some local NGOs who later also discontinued the assistance due to lack of funds.
Government officials and elected leaders have been making promises after promises to compensate and rehabilitate the affected people but so far no help has reached them. The residents also blocked the Chitral-Shandur road on the occasion of the annual polo tournament this year in protest against the government’s indifference to their sufferings and to convey their demands to the higher authorities. However, local officials in order to avoid any embarrassment again hoodwinked the people on false promises and got the road cleared.
Officials in the district could not be contacted for comments. However, MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin told this correspondent that in the year 2007 he had requested the then government to compensate the residents on a pattern similar to the affected people of the October 2005 earthquake in Hazara and Kashmir and help them rebuild the destroyed houses. He said the affected people in the earthquake zone were provided Rs175,000 per destroyed home by the government for reconstruction purposes.
“In spite of a surfeit of files travelling at high speed between the offices of the Provincial Relief Commissioner and the federal governments, no relief has been forthcoming for the poor residents,” he regretted.
He said continued inaction was projecting the government in poor light especially in an area where the ruling party enjoyed solid support. He said he was continuously in touch with the departments concerned seeking a relief package for the rehabilitation of the affected people.
ISLAMABAD: Despite the passage of over two years, no practical steps have been taken either by the federal or provincial governments to provide relief to the affected residents of Sonoghor village in the Mastuj tehsil of Chitral who were displaced by one of the biggest natural catastrophes in the history of the district.
On June 27, 2007, a glacier overlooking the scenic village burst and the avalanche/floodwater swept away houses, orchards, standing crops and other property. The mayhem continued for over three days and again hit the village one year later. As a result, as many as 115 families were displaced while 38 houses completely buried under the flood. The displaced residents have since been living in inhuman conditions in makeshift camps in nearby villages. Initially, they were provided relief items by some local NGOs who later also discontinued the assistance due to lack of funds.
Government officials and elected leaders have been making promises after promises to compensate and rehabilitate the affected people but so far no help has reached them. The residents also blocked the Chitral-Shandur road on the occasion of the annual polo tournament this year in protest against the government’s indifference to their sufferings and to convey their demands to the higher authorities. However, local officials in order to avoid any embarrassment again hoodwinked the people on false promises and got the road cleared.
Officials in the district could not be contacted for comments. However, MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin told this correspondent that in the year 2007 he had requested the then government to compensate the residents on a pattern similar to the affected people of the October 2005 earthquake in Hazara and Kashmir and help them rebuild the destroyed houses. He said the affected people in the earthquake zone were provided Rs175,000 per destroyed home by the government for reconstruction purposes.
“In spite of a surfeit of files travelling at high speed between the offices of the Provincial Relief Commissioner and the federal governments, no relief has been forthcoming for the poor residents,” he regretted.
He said continued inaction was projecting the government in poor light especially in an area where the ruling party enjoyed solid support. He said he was continuously in touch with the departments concerned seeking a relief package for the rehabilitation of the affected people.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Cut in PIA flights to Chitral criticised
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: Member National Assembly (MNA) from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin has criticised Pakistan International Airline (PIA) for reducing the number of flights on the Chitral route in complete disregards to the communication problems of the district.
Talking to this correspondent here on Saturday, he said the national flag carrier had recently diverted one of Chitral’s flights from Peshawar to Kabul besides giving another on Islamabad-Chitral route to Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said people of Chitral faced immense problems due to the closure of the only land route via the Lowari Pass in winter. This year, due to the military operation in the Malakand division, the valley remained cut-off from rest of the country even in summer. In this situation, the PIA flights become the only way of communication for the people of the area, he added.
Earlier the PIA operated 11 flights a week from Peshawar and daily one flight from Islamabad but now the number of flights from Peshawar has been reduced to six while Sunday’s flight from Islamabad has been diverted to Gilgit-Skardu route. Besides, the only one flight on Saturday from Peshawar has been shifted to Peshawar-Kabul route.
On the other hand, most of the flights from Peshawar are cancelled on the pretext of inclement weather leading to rush of passengers including women and elderly people both at Peshawar and Chitral who cannot travel by road through the Malakand division due to security reasons particularly after four Chitrali passengers were shot dead by Taliban militants in the Bajaur area this year.
He said instead of taking political decision on allocation of PIA aircraft for commercial flights, the authorities concerned should take into account the communication problems of Chitral which remains cut off from rest of the country due to absence of an all-weather route. He said the people of his area had rendered great sacrifices for maintenance of peace not only in their own district but also in other parts of the NWFP. In return, they should not be punished by snatching whatever facilities they have been availing for the last many years, he added.
The MNA also called upon the managing director of PIA, Capt Ejaz Haroon to consider Chitral as a special case and increase the flight on the route at least till the completion of Lowari Tunnel.
ISLAMABAD: Member National Assembly (MNA) from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin has criticised Pakistan International Airline (PIA) for reducing the number of flights on the Chitral route in complete disregards to the communication problems of the district.
Talking to this correspondent here on Saturday, he said the national flag carrier had recently diverted one of Chitral’s flights from Peshawar to Kabul besides giving another on Islamabad-Chitral route to Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said people of Chitral faced immense problems due to the closure of the only land route via the Lowari Pass in winter. This year, due to the military operation in the Malakand division, the valley remained cut-off from rest of the country even in summer. In this situation, the PIA flights become the only way of communication for the people of the area, he added.
Earlier the PIA operated 11 flights a week from Peshawar and daily one flight from Islamabad but now the number of flights from Peshawar has been reduced to six while Sunday’s flight from Islamabad has been diverted to Gilgit-Skardu route. Besides, the only one flight on Saturday from Peshawar has been shifted to Peshawar-Kabul route.
On the other hand, most of the flights from Peshawar are cancelled on the pretext of inclement weather leading to rush of passengers including women and elderly people both at Peshawar and Chitral who cannot travel by road through the Malakand division due to security reasons particularly after four Chitrali passengers were shot dead by Taliban militants in the Bajaur area this year.
He said instead of taking political decision on allocation of PIA aircraft for commercial flights, the authorities concerned should take into account the communication problems of Chitral which remains cut off from rest of the country due to absence of an all-weather route. He said the people of his area had rendered great sacrifices for maintenance of peace not only in their own district but also in other parts of the NWFP. In return, they should not be punished by snatching whatever facilities they have been availing for the last many years, he added.
The MNA also called upon the managing director of PIA, Capt Ejaz Haroon to consider Chitral as a special case and increase the flight on the route at least till the completion of Lowari Tunnel.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Corruption, politics behind Chitral's power crisis
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: As Chitral is facing worst ever electricity crisis, a tug of war among the politicians coupled with rampant mismanagement and inefficiency of the local power utility officials have further compounded the miseries of the consumers leaving no room for resolution of the problem.
Though small hydropower units have been set up and are working efficiently even in remote villages of the valley through monetary and technical know-how provided by the private sector, power crisis in the main town having a population of about 40,000 has deteriorated during the last a couple of years.
The local power house generates about one megawatt; 1.2 megawatts are supplied from the Reshun hydropower station in the Mastuj tehsil while about 1.5 megawatts come from the national grid against the total demand of about three megawatts. However, the consumers allege that the Pesco officials show the production of Chitral town powerhouse at 600 kw and do not give account for the electricity coming from Reshun and the national grid.
The consumers say sufficient electricity is available in the town and more can be generated with ease, but local political leaders have messed up with the issue for their own vested interests. All the political leaders including the district nazim of Jamaat-i-Islami, a provincial minister belonging to the PPP and the PML-Q MNA have played games for their own vested interests. When one leader tries to resolve the issue, others waste no time to sabotage his efforts lest he gets credit for it.
Fed up with the power breakdowns some time stretching up to over 20 hours daily, thousands of consumers led by convener Movement for Restoration of Electricity Wg Cdr (retired) Fardad Ali Shah took to the streets recently demanding transparency in utilisation of the available electricity and investigation into alleged mismanagement, corruption and misuse of authority by the Pesco officials. Members of the movement claimed that the local power station was producing over one megawatt, its maximum rated output with two turbines, but there was no record where the remaining 400 kw was being utilised.
The powerhouse has 55 employees most of whom remain absent from duty. Strangely, each employee is enjoying 600 units free electricity which they scrounge up to 4,000 units by subletting free electricity to others.
The local powerhouse has five generators which are never operated even though fuel was provided for them by the local administration. The consumers said the resident engineer of the power house had refused to operate the generators. The consumers alleged that essential parts of the generators had already been sold out by the officials.
ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: As Chitral is facing worst ever electricity crisis, a tug of war among the politicians coupled with rampant mismanagement and inefficiency of the local power utility officials have further compounded the miseries of the consumers leaving no room for resolution of the problem.
Though small hydropower units have been set up and are working efficiently even in remote villages of the valley through monetary and technical know-how provided by the private sector, power crisis in the main town having a population of about 40,000 has deteriorated during the last a couple of years.
The local power house generates about one megawatt; 1.2 megawatts are supplied from the Reshun hydropower station in the Mastuj tehsil while about 1.5 megawatts come from the national grid against the total demand of about three megawatts. However, the consumers allege that the Pesco officials show the production of Chitral town powerhouse at 600 kw and do not give account for the electricity coming from Reshun and the national grid.
The consumers say sufficient electricity is available in the town and more can be generated with ease, but local political leaders have messed up with the issue for their own vested interests. All the political leaders including the district nazim of Jamaat-i-Islami, a provincial minister belonging to the PPP and the PML-Q MNA have played games for their own vested interests. When one leader tries to resolve the issue, others waste no time to sabotage his efforts lest he gets credit for it.
Fed up with the power breakdowns some time stretching up to over 20 hours daily, thousands of consumers led by convener Movement for Restoration of Electricity Wg Cdr (retired) Fardad Ali Shah took to the streets recently demanding transparency in utilisation of the available electricity and investigation into alleged mismanagement, corruption and misuse of authority by the Pesco officials. Members of the movement claimed that the local power station was producing over one megawatt, its maximum rated output with two turbines, but there was no record where the remaining 400 kw was being utilised.
The powerhouse has 55 employees most of whom remain absent from duty. Strangely, each employee is enjoying 600 units free electricity which they scrounge up to 4,000 units by subletting free electricity to others.
The local powerhouse has five generators which are never operated even though fuel was provided for them by the local administration. The consumers said the resident engineer of the power house had refused to operate the generators. The consumers alleged that essential parts of the generators had already been sold out by the officials.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Chitral's share in Rs50bn Malakand fund demanded
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: Though exemplary peace prevails in Chitral, one of the districts of the Malakand division, the violence and subsequent military operation in Dir and Swat have left a devastating effect on the poverty-stricken people of the valley.
Chitral’s location among the rugged Hindukush mountains keeps it cut off from rest of the country for half of the year in winter. This year, however, Chitralis remain stranded even in summer due to the military operation in the Malakand division. Inside the valley, road infrastructure, healthcare and educational facilities are almost non-existent. The government allocates funds for districts on the basis of their populations due to which Chitral gets a paltry sum every year. However, with the operation in the region nearing conclusion, the residents of Chitral expect that the federal government would announce a special package to compensate the losses which they have suffered due to blockade of roads and collapse of the tourism industry.
Area-wise Chitral is the largest district of the NWFP and accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the Malakand division. Unlike the violence-affected districts, Chitral borders three lawless Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nooristan and Badakhshan in the west. It also opens through numerous passes to militancy-hit Swat and Dir districts in the southeast and south. When seen in such a geographical setting, Chitral could have very easily become a centre of attraction and safe haven for the fleeing Taliban militants. However, the people of the valley played their collective role in maintaining peace in the area.
MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin says time has come people of Chitral should be rewarded for their role in maintaining peace under the prevailing circumstances. “Otherwise, there is a danger that they would start thinking that peace has failed to bring them any dividend.” Should taking arms, breaking the law, killing innocent people and blowing up schools are a prerequisite to bring in development? There is a danger that the sense of deprivation can drive people towards a negative approach to attain their rights, he added.
In a letter to Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin, Mr Mohiuddin hailed the decision of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for allocating Rs50 billion for the Malakand division but warned that his area should not be excluded from the package because Chitral has indirectly suffered unprecedented economic losses due to the violence. He said at least 5 per cent of the amount should be set aside to make for the economic losses the current turmoil in the region has caused to Chitral.
He also urged Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira and Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmed of the Special Support Group not to ignore Chitral while allocating the funds for development of the violence affected districts.
ISLAMABAD: Though exemplary peace prevails in Chitral, one of the districts of the Malakand division, the violence and subsequent military operation in Dir and Swat have left a devastating effect on the poverty-stricken people of the valley.
Chitral’s location among the rugged Hindukush mountains keeps it cut off from rest of the country for half of the year in winter. This year, however, Chitralis remain stranded even in summer due to the military operation in the Malakand division. Inside the valley, road infrastructure, healthcare and educational facilities are almost non-existent. The government allocates funds for districts on the basis of their populations due to which Chitral gets a paltry sum every year. However, with the operation in the region nearing conclusion, the residents of Chitral expect that the federal government would announce a special package to compensate the losses which they have suffered due to blockade of roads and collapse of the tourism industry.
Area-wise Chitral is the largest district of the NWFP and accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the Malakand division. Unlike the violence-affected districts, Chitral borders three lawless Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nooristan and Badakhshan in the west. It also opens through numerous passes to militancy-hit Swat and Dir districts in the southeast and south. When seen in such a geographical setting, Chitral could have very easily become a centre of attraction and safe haven for the fleeing Taliban militants. However, the people of the valley played their collective role in maintaining peace in the area.
MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin says time has come people of Chitral should be rewarded for their role in maintaining peace under the prevailing circumstances. “Otherwise, there is a danger that they would start thinking that peace has failed to bring them any dividend.” Should taking arms, breaking the law, killing innocent people and blowing up schools are a prerequisite to bring in development? There is a danger that the sense of deprivation can drive people towards a negative approach to attain their rights, he added.
In a letter to Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin, Mr Mohiuddin hailed the decision of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for allocating Rs50 billion for the Malakand division but warned that his area should not be excluded from the package because Chitral has indirectly suffered unprecedented economic losses due to the violence. He said at least 5 per cent of the amount should be set aside to make for the economic losses the current turmoil in the region has caused to Chitral.
He also urged Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira and Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmed of the Special Support Group not to ignore Chitral while allocating the funds for development of the violence affected districts.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Koreans say no to restart work on Lowari Tunnel
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD, June 27: A meeting held to discuss resumption of work on the Lowari Rail Tunnel project here on Saturday failed to persuade the Korean company officials to return to the site.
The Koreans Sambu company officials expressed their inability to move to the site in Upper Dir and resume work due to security concerns, a participant of the meeting told Dawn.
However, on the assurance of the elected representatives from Chitral and Dir that they would be provided foolproof security, the Korean consultants and workers sought more time to reach the final decision after consulting their government, he added.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, Minister of State for Communication Chaudhry Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Minister for Frontier Regions Najmuddin Khan from Dir; MNA Shahzada Mohiuddin and MPA Ghulam Mohammad from Chitral, besides the chairman and other officials of the National Highway Authority (NHA).
Work on the project was suspended with the launch of the ongoing military operation in Malakand division. The Korean Sambu company officials and consultants from other countries, who have been shifted to Islamabad after suspension of the work, referred to media reports of law and order situation and killings in the region and expressed their inability to move back to the site to resume work.
When told by the representatives from Chitral that there was complete peace in their valley and they could restart the work from the northern portal, the Koreans maintained that due to the prevailing security situation and curfew in the Malakand division, supply of construction material and other equipment from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi had stopped.
The first phase of the project was completed in January this year and the second and final phase was to finish in 2010 according to the original plan. However, the suspension of work on the project for an indefinite period due to the current security situation in the tunnel’s southern site in Upper Dir has created concerns among the people of Chitral that the tunnel may not be completed on time.
ISLAMABAD, June 27: A meeting held to discuss resumption of work on the Lowari Rail Tunnel project here on Saturday failed to persuade the Korean company officials to return to the site.
The Koreans Sambu company officials expressed their inability to move to the site in Upper Dir and resume work due to security concerns, a participant of the meeting told Dawn.
However, on the assurance of the elected representatives from Chitral and Dir that they would be provided foolproof security, the Korean consultants and workers sought more time to reach the final decision after consulting their government, he added.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, Minister of State for Communication Chaudhry Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Minister for Frontier Regions Najmuddin Khan from Dir; MNA Shahzada Mohiuddin and MPA Ghulam Mohammad from Chitral, besides the chairman and other officials of the National Highway Authority (NHA).
Work on the project was suspended with the launch of the ongoing military operation in Malakand division. The Korean Sambu company officials and consultants from other countries, who have been shifted to Islamabad after suspension of the work, referred to media reports of law and order situation and killings in the region and expressed their inability to move back to the site to resume work.
When told by the representatives from Chitral that there was complete peace in their valley and they could restart the work from the northern portal, the Koreans maintained that due to the prevailing security situation and curfew in the Malakand division, supply of construction material and other equipment from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi had stopped.
The first phase of the project was completed in January this year and the second and final phase was to finish in 2010 according to the original plan. However, the suspension of work on the project for an indefinite period due to the current security situation in the tunnel’s southern site in Upper Dir has created concerns among the people of Chitral that the tunnel may not be completed on time.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Former MPA Maulana Jehangir dies of heart attack in Chitral
CHITRAL: Former MPA from PF-90 Chitral-II and the district chief of Jamiat Ulemai-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Jehangir has died of cardiac arrest. He was 60 years of age. He suffered a massive heart atatck at Singoor and was rushed to the DHQ hospital Chitral where he died at about 6.15pm. Maulana Jehangir was elected MPA from the platform of the MMA in the elections 2002 from upper Chitral and remained a member of the NWFP assembly till a few months before the general elections of February 2008.
It may be noted here that three other persons died of cardiac arrest within the last about 24 hours in Chitral. Maulana Jehangir had reportedly gone to offer condolence in the house of one of the deceased where he suffered heart attack.
Chitral Today expresses its deepest shock over the untimely death of Maulana Jehangir and pray to God to rest the soul in eternal peace and give courage to the family to bear the irreparable loss. (Ameen)--Bashir Hussain Azad
It may be noted here that three other persons died of cardiac arrest within the last about 24 hours in Chitral. Maulana Jehangir had reportedly gone to offer condolence in the house of one of the deceased where he suffered heart attack.
Chitral Today expresses its deepest shock over the untimely death of Maulana Jehangir and pray to God to rest the soul in eternal peace and give courage to the family to bear the irreparable loss. (Ameen)--Bashir Hussain Azad
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Matter of faith: Dr Daftary's book on Ismailism reviewed
Reviewed by Mansoor Murad
In this, the Islamic republic of Pakistan, talking about matters of faith is something that is considered a sensitive issue. This is truer still when talking of the differences between the various sects of Islam, and the sects which are small in numbers tend to be concentrated in specific catchment areas and almost secretive about their doctrines and practices.
And with the current climate in the nation, where expression of religious orthodoxy as well as any non-regulation beliefs are increasingly taboo, having an open and honest discussion about theology in any form is difficult at best, and impossible under normal circumstances, where non-orthodoxy seems to be threatened with ever greater intolerance.
Therefore, it was with anticipation that I picked up Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines by Farhad Daftary. The book is meticulously researched and, for a scholarly text, reasonably easy to read. The language is quite plain, and sentences clearly constructed and easy to understand.
This text should not be inaccessible to people of any level of proficiency in the language, and there is no attempt to impress the reader with impressive vocabulary. Quite the reverse, in fact, as things are explained in as plainly as possible.
Readers may initially be daunted by the size of the book, but much of the latter third is taken is taken up with meticulous and highly detailed endnotes. It is an extremely wise decision to transfer a great deal of secondary exposition to the endnotes as, although the information contained in these can be very important for a scholarly study, a reader seeking a broader understanding can choose which areas to seek more in-depth information about.
I found myself dipping into the endnotes at intervals throughout my read. Although this process did interrupt the flow of the narrative somewhat, it also meant that I could skim over areas where the main text sufficed for my requirements.
Dr Daftary is clearly an expert in the field, and the great strength of the book is the detailed discussion of the evolution of the Ismailis from their origin to the modern day. This is a vast period of time to encompass, and the author does it well, dealing with the history in chronological order. He refers heavily to the historical accounts maintained by Ismaili scholars, but also refers to other sources of research, predominantly stemming from the West.
He also spends a significant amount of space in the beginning of the book both detailing and debunking many of the legends associated with the Ismailis, particularly in the West.
The most popular of these, of course, is the ‘Assassins’ legend, which talks about a fearless band of killers who, high on mind-altering substances and visions of an Eden-like reward, committed some of the most adacious murders of high-ranking political officials of the time.
The origin of the work assassin is from Persian Hashisheen, which the author explains was a word used by orthodox Muslims to disparage the Ismailis, whom they saw as heretics.
This is relevant information but it sets a defensive tone for the volume as a whole. Since the start of the book is preoccupied with listing the different sources of erroneous and defamatory writings about the Ismailis, and detailing and debunking the various legends surrounding them, there is certain apologist flavour to the introductory section.
Although this does explain why the sources of historical data are selected from where they are, sources considered biased negatively in the opinion of the author are ignored completely.This means that question of orthodoxy and heresy are, in main, side-stepped.
The only other disappointment with the book is that it does not really go into any great depth about the doctrines, articles of faith or practices. I had hoped that some light would be shed on these aspects of Ismailism which are normally surrounded by a certain amount of misinformation. On that front the volume is largely silent, choosing more to focusing almost exclusively on the history of the sect.
For the students of Islamic history, the book will be a very valuable resource. It is well written and well researched, and covers the entire history of the Ismailis with relative ease – This is Daftary’s real achievement without compromising on relevant details or readability.
However, it is in essence one point of view, and those wishing for s further understanding may wish to also refer to some other texts whose basic assumption are not as charitable as those of Daftary, who seems predisposed to dismiss all unflattering reports as disinformation. This may well be true, but for a serious students, both sides of the coin must be examined and one’s own conclusion drawn.
The Ismailis: Their history and doctrines
By Farhad Daftary
Cambridge University Press, UK
ISBN 0-521-61636-2
77pages, Rs3995.
Courtesy Dawn's Books & Authors
In this, the Islamic republic of Pakistan, talking about matters of faith is something that is considered a sensitive issue. This is truer still when talking of the differences between the various sects of Islam, and the sects which are small in numbers tend to be concentrated in specific catchment areas and almost secretive about their doctrines and practices.
And with the current climate in the nation, where expression of religious orthodoxy as well as any non-regulation beliefs are increasingly taboo, having an open and honest discussion about theology in any form is difficult at best, and impossible under normal circumstances, where non-orthodoxy seems to be threatened with ever greater intolerance.
Therefore, it was with anticipation that I picked up Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines by Farhad Daftary. The book is meticulously researched and, for a scholarly text, reasonably easy to read. The language is quite plain, and sentences clearly constructed and easy to understand.
This text should not be inaccessible to people of any level of proficiency in the language, and there is no attempt to impress the reader with impressive vocabulary. Quite the reverse, in fact, as things are explained in as plainly as possible.
Readers may initially be daunted by the size of the book, but much of the latter third is taken is taken up with meticulous and highly detailed endnotes. It is an extremely wise decision to transfer a great deal of secondary exposition to the endnotes as, although the information contained in these can be very important for a scholarly study, a reader seeking a broader understanding can choose which areas to seek more in-depth information about.
I found myself dipping into the endnotes at intervals throughout my read. Although this process did interrupt the flow of the narrative somewhat, it also meant that I could skim over areas where the main text sufficed for my requirements.
Dr Daftary is clearly an expert in the field, and the great strength of the book is the detailed discussion of the evolution of the Ismailis from their origin to the modern day. This is a vast period of time to encompass, and the author does it well, dealing with the history in chronological order. He refers heavily to the historical accounts maintained by Ismaili scholars, but also refers to other sources of research, predominantly stemming from the West.
He also spends a significant amount of space in the beginning of the book both detailing and debunking many of the legends associated with the Ismailis, particularly in the West.
The most popular of these, of course, is the ‘Assassins’ legend, which talks about a fearless band of killers who, high on mind-altering substances and visions of an Eden-like reward, committed some of the most adacious murders of high-ranking political officials of the time.
The origin of the work assassin is from Persian Hashisheen, which the author explains was a word used by orthodox Muslims to disparage the Ismailis, whom they saw as heretics.
This is relevant information but it sets a defensive tone for the volume as a whole. Since the start of the book is preoccupied with listing the different sources of erroneous and defamatory writings about the Ismailis, and detailing and debunking the various legends surrounding them, there is certain apologist flavour to the introductory section.
Although this does explain why the sources of historical data are selected from where they are, sources considered biased negatively in the opinion of the author are ignored completely.This means that question of orthodoxy and heresy are, in main, side-stepped.
The only other disappointment with the book is that it does not really go into any great depth about the doctrines, articles of faith or practices. I had hoped that some light would be shed on these aspects of Ismailism which are normally surrounded by a certain amount of misinformation. On that front the volume is largely silent, choosing more to focusing almost exclusively on the history of the sect.
For the students of Islamic history, the book will be a very valuable resource. It is well written and well researched, and covers the entire history of the Ismailis with relative ease – This is Daftary’s real achievement without compromising on relevant details or readability.
However, it is in essence one point of view, and those wishing for s further understanding may wish to also refer to some other texts whose basic assumption are not as charitable as those of Daftary, who seems predisposed to dismiss all unflattering reports as disinformation. This may well be true, but for a serious students, both sides of the coin must be examined and one’s own conclusion drawn.
The Ismailis: Their history and doctrines
By Farhad Daftary
Cambridge University Press, UK
ISBN 0-521-61636-2
77pages, Rs3995.
Courtesy Dawn's Books & Authors
Friday, June 19, 2009
Why PTV ignores Chitrali martyrs?
This refers to the letter by Bashir Hussain Azad published in Chitral Today on June 19, regarding PTV's coverage of the martyrs of Malakand operation. I fully agree with the writer that PTV has totally ignored the martyrs from NWFP particularly those from Chitral. Eight soldiers of Chitral Scouts laid down their lives on the first day of the operation in Maidan of Dir Lower in defense of their motherland and the bodies of the shuhada were flown to Chitral in one day and PTV or any other channel even did not mention their shahadat in their news bulletins let alone paying tributes to them. The number of martyrs from Chitral has been multiplying since then and their bodies are flown to Chitral and buried quietly. No TV channel, newspaper except a few Chitrali online newspapers mentioned the brilliant sacrifice of their lives in defense of Pakistan by these brave sons of Chitral. This is not first time that Chitrali soldiers and officers have offered their lives in defense of their motherland. This is a historical fact that Chitral has been offering its sons to save Pakistan since 1948 war with India. Nearly 80 shuhada from Chitral sacrificed their lives in Kargil misadventure.
The leading television channels do not tire creating hype by scandalizing trivial events and small issues but have badly failed to highlight the great sacrifice rendered by those brave sons of the soil. We Chitralis are extremely frustrated and disappointed over the apathy of our television channels particularly our national television PTV.
Sultan Mehmood
Garam Chashma, Chitral
----------------------------------------------------
Pakistan Television gives coverage to the martyrs of war in Swat and Waziristan frequently but in most of the cases the martyrs covered by the channel are from Punjab. Soldiers and junior officers of the Army who are martyred also hail from NWFP. I am watching PTV telecasting exclusive programmes on martyrs from Punjab and Balochistan and not on those belonging to NWFP. I would particularly refer to Samiullah Shaheed, who hailed from Koghozi in Chitral. As a coincidence, his father's name is Pakistan and a son of “Pakistan” from NWFP sacrificed his life for Pakistan, the homeland of 170 million people.
I wish NWFP had its own television channel or any industrialist from this province had a TV channel of his own, so that martyrs of the ongoing war for Pakistan could be given proper coverage. We are fed up with alien channel and bipartisan publicity.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
The leading television channels do not tire creating hype by scandalizing trivial events and small issues but have badly failed to highlight the great sacrifice rendered by those brave sons of the soil. We Chitralis are extremely frustrated and disappointed over the apathy of our television channels particularly our national television PTV.
Sultan Mehmood
Garam Chashma, Chitral
----------------------------------------------------
Pakistan Television gives coverage to the martyrs of war in Swat and Waziristan frequently but in most of the cases the martyrs covered by the channel are from Punjab. Soldiers and junior officers of the Army who are martyred also hail from NWFP. I am watching PTV telecasting exclusive programmes on martyrs from Punjab and Balochistan and not on those belonging to NWFP. I would particularly refer to Samiullah Shaheed, who hailed from Koghozi in Chitral. As a coincidence, his father's name is Pakistan and a son of “Pakistan” from NWFP sacrificed his life for Pakistan, the homeland of 170 million people.
I wish NWFP had its own television channel or any industrialist from this province had a TV channel of his own, so that martyrs of the ongoing war for Pakistan could be given proper coverage. We are fed up with alien channel and bipartisan publicity.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Flight cancellation leaves Chitralis stranded
By Zar Alam Khan
RAWALPINDI, June 16: A large number of students and their parents belonging to Chitral have been unable to visit the valley during the summer vacations due to the blockade of the road and unavailability of seats on PIA’s Islamabad-Chitral flights.
A visit to PIA’s booking office in Rawalpindi showed crowds of people scrambling for reservation of seats. However, most of them returned empty-handed after being informed that seats were not available till the end of this month.
Most of the passengers said they had been visiting the office to reserve seats for the last many weeks, but without any success.
They said each year they visited their native villages in Chitral during the summer vacations. However, this summer they were still unable to proceed to the valley as the road via Mardan and Dir remained blocked due to the ongoing military operation and curfew in the region.
Some people are still travelling through Dir after taking a long detour via Bajaur Agency. However, most of the passengers, especially those accompanied by women and children, avoid travelling on the route due to security concerns.
The PIA operates one flight daily from Islamabad to Chitral but mostly it is cancelled due to inclement weather particularly on the 10,500-foot-high Lowari Pass.
A large number of Chitralis living in Karachi, Lahore and other cities have also reached here en route to Chitral but they too are unable to proceed due to unavailability of seats in the PIA flights and road blockade in the Malakand Division through which Chitral is reached.
Talking to Dawn, most of the passengers said the government should make arrangements to end the blockade of the valley and as a first step increase the number of PIA flights or operate C-130s on the route.
The passengers said due to deteriorating law and order situation in the NWFP, particularly after the suicide attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, they could not go to Peshawar for onward journey to Chitral. Therefore, they said, the national flag-carrier should operate at least two flights daily from Islamabad to Chitral.
They also called upon their elected representatives to take up the issue with the authorities concerned and get a special package announced for ending their communication problems till the situation in the Malakand Division normalised.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Taliban threaten Kalash in Chitral
Ancient tribe’s existence threatened by extremism, tribal youths converting to other religions
* Kalash festivities marred by threats of Taliban attacks from neighbouring Dir
LAHORE: Although the NWFP today is largely under threat from the Taliban and extremism, there are still clusters in the insurgency-hit province where life goes on as normal.
The most prominent of these is the Kalash region in Chitral, a report by BBC Urdu service said on Thursday.
The region is named after the Kalash tribe, which has lived in the area since time immemorial.
The tribe, said to be descendants of Alexander the Great's soldiers, still practices an ancient pagan culture unlike any other in this part of the world, the report said.
The Kalash people have been a people apart since recorded times.
They had become a major tourist attraction in recent times, but in doing so, attracted the ire of Islamic clerics, who started calling the Kalash region ‘Kafiristan’, or the "land of the unbelievers".
Dangers: The terms were largely restricted to slogans and sermons - until the Taliban arrived on the scene.
But that is not the only challenge the community faces - many educated Kalash youth have chosen to convert to Islam.
Subsequently, they have abandoned the community to seek a life in cities and more upscale communities.
All these factors threaten this unique heritage.
“Hundreds of years ago about 3,000 Kalash people made their home in the Birir, Rumbur and Bumburet valleys among the Hindu Kush mountains of Chitral. Generally speaking, the people of Chitral, Muslim or Kalash, are liberal when it comes to religion,” the report said. But the Taliban threat has now jeopardised their existence, with the neighbouring Dir district under the Taliban control.
"Chitral is one of the most peaceful regions in Pakistan," said Abdul Wali, a local lawyer. "All communities here have brotherly relations with each other. People here believe culture has precedence over religion."
The Kalash people celebrate the four seasons with an equal number of festivals, with the summer festival seeing the highest attendance by people from across the country.
Foreigners were few this year, but present nonetheless. Among them was Glasgow resident Patricia Fort with her son Leon. "This is the second time I have come here...this time to show it to my son," she said. Her son Leon is equally enthusiastic.
"I got to know about this place from my mother, heard all the stories about the Kalash, saw pictures and knew I had to come," he said.
Taliban threat: But the richness of the festival is now shadowed, as security forces are deployed to fend off the Taliban. “Checkpoints litter the road leading to the festival venue and local hospitals have been put on red alert,” the report said. "There is a rumour going around that the Taliban will attack the festival," Dr Jahangir Khan, medical officer at a local hospital said.
"There is the situation in Dir, and we are just across the border from Afghanistan. We have been put on 24-hour emergency standby for as long as the festival lasts." However, the Kalash people continued with the festivities despite the dangers.
“In a region wracked by conflict, their simple ways seem like echoes from another time. Beautiful women adorned in black robes splattered with bright colours and with necklaces of sparkling stones dance to ancient tunes. Music is played by the men who occasionally break out in song,” the report said.
"They are singing of their happiness to God," says Munir, a Kalash man.--Daily Times
* Kalash festivities marred by threats of Taliban attacks from neighbouring Dir
LAHORE: Although the NWFP today is largely under threat from the Taliban and extremism, there are still clusters in the insurgency-hit province where life goes on as normal.
The most prominent of these is the Kalash region in Chitral, a report by BBC Urdu service said on Thursday.
The region is named after the Kalash tribe, which has lived in the area since time immemorial.
The tribe, said to be descendants of Alexander the Great's soldiers, still practices an ancient pagan culture unlike any other in this part of the world, the report said.
The Kalash people have been a people apart since recorded times.
They had become a major tourist attraction in recent times, but in doing so, attracted the ire of Islamic clerics, who started calling the Kalash region ‘Kafiristan’, or the "land of the unbelievers".
Dangers: The terms were largely restricted to slogans and sermons - until the Taliban arrived on the scene.
But that is not the only challenge the community faces - many educated Kalash youth have chosen to convert to Islam.
Subsequently, they have abandoned the community to seek a life in cities and more upscale communities.
All these factors threaten this unique heritage.
“Hundreds of years ago about 3,000 Kalash people made their home in the Birir, Rumbur and Bumburet valleys among the Hindu Kush mountains of Chitral. Generally speaking, the people of Chitral, Muslim or Kalash, are liberal when it comes to religion,” the report said. But the Taliban threat has now jeopardised their existence, with the neighbouring Dir district under the Taliban control.
"Chitral is one of the most peaceful regions in Pakistan," said Abdul Wali, a local lawyer. "All communities here have brotherly relations with each other. People here believe culture has precedence over religion."
The Kalash people celebrate the four seasons with an equal number of festivals, with the summer festival seeing the highest attendance by people from across the country.
Foreigners were few this year, but present nonetheless. Among them was Glasgow resident Patricia Fort with her son Leon. "This is the second time I have come here...this time to show it to my son," she said. Her son Leon is equally enthusiastic.
"I got to know about this place from my mother, heard all the stories about the Kalash, saw pictures and knew I had to come," he said.
Taliban threat: But the richness of the festival is now shadowed, as security forces are deployed to fend off the Taliban. “Checkpoints litter the road leading to the festival venue and local hospitals have been put on red alert,” the report said. "There is a rumour going around that the Taliban will attack the festival," Dr Jahangir Khan, medical officer at a local hospital said.
"There is the situation in Dir, and we are just across the border from Afghanistan. We have been put on 24-hour emergency standby for as long as the festival lasts." However, the Kalash people continued with the festivities despite the dangers.
“In a region wracked by conflict, their simple ways seem like echoes from another time. Beautiful women adorned in black robes splattered with bright colours and with necklaces of sparkling stones dance to ancient tunes. Music is played by the men who occasionally break out in song,” the report said.
"They are singing of their happiness to God," says Munir, a Kalash man.--Daily Times
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Chitral Today
For full and up to date coverage of Chitral, please log on to chitraltoday.com. thanks
Delay in rebuilding of Yarkhun bridge makes over 40,000 people hemmed in
Dawn
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: The government’s failure to reconstruct a bridge in a far-off valley of Chitral has left its over 40,000 residents stranded for the fourth consecutive summer this year.
The bridge on the Yarkhun river near Khotanlasht was constructed in 1980 but it collapsed in August 2006 due to lack of maintenance cutting off the over 100-km-long valley of over 50 scattered villages stretching up to the Boroghil Pass bordering the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan.
As a result, the area has been facing a crisis-like situation in the absence of supplies of essential commodities and basic healthcare facilities. Ironically, there is even no basic healthcare centre in the entire valley and a dispensary set up in the Dizg village was also closed down a few years ago. The worse affected are patients needing emergency medical treatment including aged people, women and children. Besides, due to absence of transport, people have to travel on foot from the destroyed bridge to reach their villages and vice versa.
Hundreds of students including girls from the four villages near the collapsed bridge have to attend their schools situated in Brep village across the river. When the bridge collapsed, they remained out of school for three months till a pedestrian bridge was set up at the site. Crossing the dangling and quite long suspension bridge is like playing with one’s life. Early in the morning and in the afternoon, crowds of students can be seen on the bank of the river waiting for their turn to cross the bridge one by one, as the bridge is also used by other people and for shifting of luggage, etc. The residents said they had been going through mental distress and were also concerned about the safety of their children. One person has already lost his life while crossing the river.
Though the reconstruction of the bridge could take hardly one or two months, too many political stakeholders have complicated the matter to achieve their own vested interest making the residents suffer. As the area is far off and has no communication links, the affected people’s pleas after pleas for resolution of the problem have fell on deaf ears despite the fact that their political representatives had made promises to reconstruct the bridge on many occasions.
During the last about three years, every political party hoodwinked the people and sent contractors to the site who carried out some groundwork that too by fits and starts and then disappeared. So far, work on the project has been started and closed for fourth time but there is no hope that the work presently going on at a snail’s pace at the site would be completed any time soon.
When the bridge was washed away, the then provincial government of the MMA deliberately put the project into the cold storage and did not release the required funds on time. However, MMA’s successors in the province turned out to be more callous and did the same with the project. In the 2008 elections, the PML-Q candidates Shahzada Mohiuddin and Ghulam Mohammad returned to the National and the provincial assemblies mainly through the votes of the Yarkhun valley after promising to reconstruct the bridge as a priority project. But after reaching the assemblies, these two leaders have also been buying time on one pretext or the other. Instead of ensuring the reconstruction of the bridge, the MPA made it a publicity opportunity and proudly opened a plaque in his name on April 21, 2008, declaring that work on reconstruction of the bridge has been started. Had there been political will to resolve the public issue, the bridge would have so far been reconstructed, regretted the residents.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The last breaths of Kalasha language in Kalkatak of Chitral
By Fakhruddin
According to linguistic experts, 6,000 languages in the world will reduce to half in the middle of this century if language shifting continued in the same rate as it is now. Speakers of a minority language shift to a majority language due to many reasons.
In our county, a number of languages are endangered. Kalasha is one of them. Kalasha, the language spoken by a minority in Chitral, is threatened of extinction because its speakers are adopting the major language of Chitral, Khowar. The best example of this shift is the village of Kalkatak in southern Chitral. The inhabitants of Kalkatak have changed their mother-tongue three times during the last century.
They gave up Kalasha, adopted Palula, and then abandoned Palula for Khowar. Now, the last remnants of the Kalasha language will soon disappear from the village.
At the beginning of the last century, the language of Kalkatak was Kalasha, an Indo-Aryan language; and the language of an ancient tribe also called Kalasha, which today lives in three valleys in Chitral, Bumboret, Rumbur and Birir. There are only about a dozen elderly people living in Kalkatak who still know Kalasha, but they do not like to speak it. The Kalasha language will be extinct from the village with the death of this handful of people.
Muhammad Wali Shah, an elderly man of 72, says: "The people with whom I used to speak Kalasha in my childhood, do not like to speak it now". He added that until 60s, he could still find some company with whom to speak the language, but after that no one likes to converse in the language.
Kalasha was still dominant in the village in the 30s. No one had yet left it for Palula or Khowar, and some non-Kalasha speakers had even learnt it. Salah Khan, another elderly man, says: "My father was a Khowar speaker who immigrated to the village from Madak and married a Kalasha woman of the village. There was Kalasha in my home and this is why I know Kalasha".
Rahim Khan, a man of 40 and a son of Kalasha parents, does not know Kalasha at all, but speaks Palula. He says "I learnt Kalasha from my parents along with Palula and Khowar in my childhood, but later on I forgot the language, since Palula was so dominating." He speaks Palula with his children.
The people of Kalkatak gave up Kalasha because they felt inferior, and because it was easy to adopt other languages. In the time of the Kator ruler, all Kalasha of the area were in the Rayat class -- the lowest class. The people of the upper classes were using 'Kalash' as a derogatory term for the people. The people were hesitant to speak the language in front of Khowar speakers. The difficulties increased further when a fort was constructed in the village in 1930 for the son of a Khowar-speaking ruler, and many Khowar speakers came to the village with the prince.
Wasim Khan, born in 1937, says: "The people of Kalkatak gave up Kalasha because they felt inferior. Other tribes in the area considered the Kalasha inferior in status, and because of the Kalasha language this inferiority was more visible. The people of Kalkatak thought that people considered them inferior because they spoke Kalasha."
The villagers already knew Palula and Khowar along with their mother tongue and they had no difficulty in adopting either of these languages. The interaction and intermarriage of the villagers with Palula speakers from the Biori valley had already made them fluent in Palula. For a long time they were speaking these languages along with Kalasha.
Khoshani, an old lady of the village, says: "My parents were Kalasha speakers and my mother-tongue was Kalasha. I used to speak Kalasha as long as I was with my parents. I stopped it when I married and began to speak Palula. My mother-in-law was a Palula speaker from Biori and the language in my parents-in-laws' house was Palula."
Muhammad Salim, an influential Kalasha man, migrated to Biori Valley with his family to protect himself from enforced labour under the mehtar. He stayed there for a long time and came back to the village with the Palula language. His children spoke Palula. The summer-pastures of the villager also lie at the eastern end of the Biori valley. The people of Kalkatak had to go through the valley with their goats in order to get there. The shepherds of both language communities had a lot of interaction with each other while in the pastures.
The inhabitants of a small village called Serdur, near Kalkatak, are immigrants from Biori. They have been there for three generations. They still speak Palula, and depend on Kalkatak for many things. Until recently, they had no graveyard or Mosque, and they still come to Kalkatak for the Eid prayers.
To the people of Kalkatak, 'Kalasha' was a term not only used for a language but also for a tribe who were considered inferior, and, perhaps more importantly, for a religion which was considered infidel. To them, speaking Kalasha meant being perceived as inferior and infidel. Although the people of Kalkatak had given up the Kalasha religion long ago, they had kept the language.
Meanwhile, the Kalasha of Suwir - a village across the river to the west of Kalkatak - took an oath never again to speak Kalasha. The villagers collectively gave up the language. This must have had a great effect on the people of kalkatak.
The Kalasha language is taking its last breath in the village of Kalkatak. The few speakers of Kalasha in the village are in their seventies. With the death of these people the last symbol of the Kalasha tradition will disappear from the village forever.
According to linguistic experts, 6,000 languages in the world will reduce to half in the middle of this century if language shifting continued in the same rate as it is now. Speakers of a minority language shift to a majority language due to many reasons.
In our county, a number of languages are endangered. Kalasha is one of them. Kalasha, the language spoken by a minority in Chitral, is threatened of extinction because its speakers are adopting the major language of Chitral, Khowar. The best example of this shift is the village of Kalkatak in southern Chitral. The inhabitants of Kalkatak have changed their mother-tongue three times during the last century.
They gave up Kalasha, adopted Palula, and then abandoned Palula for Khowar. Now, the last remnants of the Kalasha language will soon disappear from the village.
At the beginning of the last century, the language of Kalkatak was Kalasha, an Indo-Aryan language; and the language of an ancient tribe also called Kalasha, which today lives in three valleys in Chitral, Bumboret, Rumbur and Birir. There are only about a dozen elderly people living in Kalkatak who still know Kalasha, but they do not like to speak it. The Kalasha language will be extinct from the village with the death of this handful of people.
Muhammad Wali Shah, an elderly man of 72, says: "The people with whom I used to speak Kalasha in my childhood, do not like to speak it now". He added that until 60s, he could still find some company with whom to speak the language, but after that no one likes to converse in the language.
Kalasha was still dominant in the village in the 30s. No one had yet left it for Palula or Khowar, and some non-Kalasha speakers had even learnt it. Salah Khan, another elderly man, says: "My father was a Khowar speaker who immigrated to the village from Madak and married a Kalasha woman of the village. There was Kalasha in my home and this is why I know Kalasha".
Rahim Khan, a man of 40 and a son of Kalasha parents, does not know Kalasha at all, but speaks Palula. He says "I learnt Kalasha from my parents along with Palula and Khowar in my childhood, but later on I forgot the language, since Palula was so dominating." He speaks Palula with his children.
The people of Kalkatak gave up Kalasha because they felt inferior, and because it was easy to adopt other languages. In the time of the Kator ruler, all Kalasha of the area were in the Rayat class -- the lowest class. The people of the upper classes were using 'Kalash' as a derogatory term for the people. The people were hesitant to speak the language in front of Khowar speakers. The difficulties increased further when a fort was constructed in the village in 1930 for the son of a Khowar-speaking ruler, and many Khowar speakers came to the village with the prince.
Wasim Khan, born in 1937, says: "The people of Kalkatak gave up Kalasha because they felt inferior. Other tribes in the area considered the Kalasha inferior in status, and because of the Kalasha language this inferiority was more visible. The people of Kalkatak thought that people considered them inferior because they spoke Kalasha."
The villagers already knew Palula and Khowar along with their mother tongue and they had no difficulty in adopting either of these languages. The interaction and intermarriage of the villagers with Palula speakers from the Biori valley had already made them fluent in Palula. For a long time they were speaking these languages along with Kalasha.
Khoshani, an old lady of the village, says: "My parents were Kalasha speakers and my mother-tongue was Kalasha. I used to speak Kalasha as long as I was with my parents. I stopped it when I married and began to speak Palula. My mother-in-law was a Palula speaker from Biori and the language in my parents-in-laws' house was Palula."
Muhammad Salim, an influential Kalasha man, migrated to Biori Valley with his family to protect himself from enforced labour under the mehtar. He stayed there for a long time and came back to the village with the Palula language. His children spoke Palula. The summer-pastures of the villager also lie at the eastern end of the Biori valley. The people of Kalkatak had to go through the valley with their goats in order to get there. The shepherds of both language communities had a lot of interaction with each other while in the pastures.
The inhabitants of a small village called Serdur, near Kalkatak, are immigrants from Biori. They have been there for three generations. They still speak Palula, and depend on Kalkatak for many things. Until recently, they had no graveyard or Mosque, and they still come to Kalkatak for the Eid prayers.
To the people of Kalkatak, 'Kalasha' was a term not only used for a language but also for a tribe who were considered inferior, and, perhaps more importantly, for a religion which was considered infidel. To them, speaking Kalasha meant being perceived as inferior and infidel. Although the people of Kalkatak had given up the Kalasha religion long ago, they had kept the language.
Meanwhile, the Kalasha of Suwir - a village across the river to the west of Kalkatak - took an oath never again to speak Kalasha. The villagers collectively gave up the language. This must have had a great effect on the people of kalkatak.
The Kalasha language is taking its last breath in the village of Kalkatak. The few speakers of Kalasha in the village are in their seventies. With the death of these people the last symbol of the Kalasha tradition will disappear from the village forever.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sambu co. offered Rs50m for continuing work on Lowari Tunnel
By Zulfiqar Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: The government has offered an amount of Rs50 million in addition to the project cost to the South Korean construction company working at the Lowari Tunnel to change its plan to wind up due to security concerns.
Initially, the total cost of the project was Rs8 billion but it was increased when the Korean company conveyed its apprehensions to the government that they had to abandon the project due to security concerns after the launch of military operation in Dir and other parts of Malakand division, sources told this reporter on Tuesday.
Resultantly, the government increased the project cost taking into account the security expenses and shifted the engineers and consultants of the company to Islamabad till normalization of the situation, sources revealed.
They said the company was going to suspend work at the tunnel permanently if the government did not take appropriate action on time.
“The company has also asked the government to arrange two choppers stationed on both sides of the tunnel to shift the manpower in case of any emergency,” sources said.
They further added that the government had assured foolproof security for the company’s workforce till work at the tunnel is completed.
The drilling at the 8.8KM long, 7.15 metres high and 7.55 meters wide tunnel has been completed, while rail track is being laid and the work will be completed by the end of the current year.
ISLAMABAD: The government has offered an amount of Rs50 million in addition to the project cost to the South Korean construction company working at the Lowari Tunnel to change its plan to wind up due to security concerns.
Initially, the total cost of the project was Rs8 billion but it was increased when the Korean company conveyed its apprehensions to the government that they had to abandon the project due to security concerns after the launch of military operation in Dir and other parts of Malakand division, sources told this reporter on Tuesday.
Resultantly, the government increased the project cost taking into account the security expenses and shifted the engineers and consultants of the company to Islamabad till normalization of the situation, sources revealed.
They said the company was going to suspend work at the tunnel permanently if the government did not take appropriate action on time.
“The company has also asked the government to arrange two choppers stationed on both sides of the tunnel to shift the manpower in case of any emergency,” sources said.
They further added that the government had assured foolproof security for the company’s workforce till work at the tunnel is completed.
The drilling at the 8.8KM long, 7.15 metres high and 7.55 meters wide tunnel has been completed, while rail track is being laid and the work will be completed by the end of the current year.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
No doctors in Mastuj; AKHS accused of overcharging
Report GH Farooqui
CHITRAL: Speakers at a workshop here strongly condemned the health department for its continuous failure to appoint a doctor at the Rural Health Centre of Mastuj despite the fact that four posts of doctors were sanctioned for the centre.
The one-day workshop on human rights was organized by Easy and Equitable Access to Justice Program for Women, a project of Legal Awareness Program for Human Rights (LAPH), in collaboration with the Human Rights Monitoring Committee, Mastuj.
The speakers said the health department had no regard for people's problems and was ignoring their requests to appoint doctors in the whole area. They said there was no lady doctor in the area and the residents were compelled to rush their women to the Aga Khan Medical Centre at Booni in times of emergency.
But they regretted that most of the time the patients died on their way before reaching the hospital due to the dilapidated condition of the road.
On the other hand, they also alleged that taking undue benefit of the situation, the the Aga Khan Health Service's medical center at Booni was overcharging the poor patients.
The workshop was presided over by Abdul Rehman, a social worker from Mastuj.
Chairman Board of Director LAPH Niaz Ali Shah said his organization was working for uplift of humanity especially for protection of women's rights. He said LAPH arranged seminars and workshops for raising awareness among the masses regarding human rights.
He said they also supported widows for their rehabilitation and helped poor students in order to decrease the dropt-out ratio besides providing free legal assistance to poor and helpless women. For this purpose, they have opened three free legal aid centers which help oppressed segment of society.
He thanked Tehsil Nazim Chitral Sartaj Ahmad Khan for his support for protecting human rights.
He said there was great discrimination in different agencies and women were totally being ignored. He said there are only 135 schools for girls in the valley and for boys the number was 565; there are 606 female teachers against 1,827 male teachers; a male doctor has to check up to 4,000 patients but a lady doctor has to see over 40,000 patients.
Those who spoke on the occasion were Haji Imatuddin, Nazir Shah, Bibi Saliha, Salahuddin, Muhiuddin and Shakira Naz.
CHITRAL: Speakers at a workshop here strongly condemned the health department for its continuous failure to appoint a doctor at the Rural Health Centre of Mastuj despite the fact that four posts of doctors were sanctioned for the centre.
The one-day workshop on human rights was organized by Easy and Equitable Access to Justice Program for Women, a project of Legal Awareness Program for Human Rights (LAPH), in collaboration with the Human Rights Monitoring Committee, Mastuj.
The speakers said the health department had no regard for people's problems and was ignoring their requests to appoint doctors in the whole area. They said there was no lady doctor in the area and the residents were compelled to rush their women to the Aga Khan Medical Centre at Booni in times of emergency.
But they regretted that most of the time the patients died on their way before reaching the hospital due to the dilapidated condition of the road.
On the other hand, they also alleged that taking undue benefit of the situation, the the Aga Khan Health Service's medical center at Booni was overcharging the poor patients.
The workshop was presided over by Abdul Rehman, a social worker from Mastuj.
Chairman Board of Director LAPH Niaz Ali Shah said his organization was working for uplift of humanity especially for protection of women's rights. He said LAPH arranged seminars and workshops for raising awareness among the masses regarding human rights.
He said they also supported widows for their rehabilitation and helped poor students in order to decrease the dropt-out ratio besides providing free legal assistance to poor and helpless women. For this purpose, they have opened three free legal aid centers which help oppressed segment of society.
He thanked Tehsil Nazim Chitral Sartaj Ahmad Khan for his support for protecting human rights.
He said there was great discrimination in different agencies and women were totally being ignored. He said there are only 135 schools for girls in the valley and for boys the number was 565; there are 606 female teachers against 1,827 male teachers; a male doctor has to check up to 4,000 patients but a lady doctor has to see over 40,000 patients.
Those who spoke on the occasion were Haji Imatuddin, Nazir Shah, Bibi Saliha, Salahuddin, Muhiuddin and Shakira Naz.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Two more Chitralis killed in Lower Dir
ISLAMABAD: Two more Chitralis have been killed during the ongoing military operation in Maidan area of Lower Dir, reports said.
One of the victims, who belonged to Laspur valley, worked for the Northern Light Infantry (NLI) regiment. His body has been transferred to Peshawar for onward dispatch to his native village. But due to unavailability of flights it could not reach Chitral on Friday.
The second victim was identified as Hashmi Ali, a resident of Morder, and a jawan of Chitarl Scouts.
Nine personnel of Chitral Scouts had also been killed in the same area recently.
One of the victims, who belonged to Laspur valley, worked for the Northern Light Infantry (NLI) regiment. His body has been transferred to Peshawar for onward dispatch to his native village. But due to unavailability of flights it could not reach Chitral on Friday.
The second victim was identified as Hashmi Ali, a resident of Morder, and a jawan of Chitarl Scouts.
Nine personnel of Chitral Scouts had also been killed in the same area recently.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Chitrali baby's life saved at Pims
By Zar Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD: The life of a newborn baby born to a couple in a Chitral village with a major congenital deformity in the passageway from mouth to stomach was saved after an operation at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Islamabad.
According to Bulbul Hussain, a resident of Bakarabad in Chitral, when the condition of his son deteriorated soon after birth, local doctors told him to take the baby to a major hospital immediately. The parents took the baby to SherpaoHospital in Peshawar where he was diagnosed with tracheoesophageal fistula with esophageal atresia (a condition in which the passageway from the mouth to stomach is not formed and has communication through the airway).
However, considering the seriousness of the case, the doctors at the Peshawar hospital referred the baby to Pims in a critical condition.
The baby was admitted to the paediatrics surgery ward at the Pims for two days after which he was operated upon by a team of pediatric surgeons, including Associate Professor Dr M. Amjad Chaudhry and Dr Saifullah Khan.
Dr Saifullah, who is also a resident of Birzoz village in the Yarkhun valley of Chitral, told this correspondent on Tuesday that after the operation the baby was doing well and had been discharged from the hospital. He said this could be the first case of its nature in the medical history of Chitral.
ISLAMABAD: The life of a newborn baby born to a couple in a Chitral village with a major congenital deformity in the passageway from mouth to stomach was saved after an operation at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Islamabad.
According to Bulbul Hussain, a resident of Bakarabad in Chitral, when the condition of his son deteriorated soon after birth, local doctors told him to take the baby to a major hospital immediately. The parents took the baby to SherpaoHospital in Peshawar where he was diagnosed with tracheoesophageal fistula with esophageal atresia (a condition in which the passageway from the mouth to stomach is not formed and has communication through the airway).
However, considering the seriousness of the case, the doctors at the Peshawar hospital referred the baby to Pims in a critical condition.
The baby was admitted to the paediatrics surgery ward at the Pims for two days after which he was operated upon by a team of pediatric surgeons, including Associate Professor Dr M. Amjad Chaudhry and Dr Saifullah Khan.
Dr Saifullah, who is also a resident of Birzoz village in the Yarkhun valley of Chitral, told this correspondent on Tuesday that after the operation the baby was doing well and had been discharged from the hospital. He said this could be the first case of its nature in the medical history of Chitral.
Tight security for Lowari Tunnel staff ordered
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Communications here on Monday recommended “proper security” for foreign consultants and engineers working on the Lowari Tunnel project.
The committee meeting held in the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Saeed Ahmed Zafar expressed serious concern over the activities of criminal elements and militants against foreign technical experts in the country.
The meeting was informed that many engineers and experts belonging to China and other countries had been kidnapped and killed in Balochistan and the NWFP.
The committee called upon the authorities to ensure safety to the foreign workers at the Lowari Tunnel.
Taliban flexing muscles for Chitral?
Report Zulfiqar Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: After completely ruining the peace of Swat, Buner and
Dir, now the next destination of Taliban seems to be Chitral, the
largest district of Malakand Division.
Sources told this reporter that the next target of Taliban is definitely
Chitral, where they could not reach due to the closure of the Lowari
Pass for the last over five months due to snow.
They are flexing their muscles to show dominance in the valley as quite
a large number of their like-minded hardliners are already there, said the
sources. According to these sources, Taliban access to Chitral will
damage the peace of the valley to the point of no return as the population
of the district consists of three communities - Sunni, Ismaili and Kalash.
Expressing grave concern and fear over the possible shift of Taliban
to Chitral after opening of the Lowari Pass, Chitralis living in twin
cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad have demanded of the government to
deploy troops replacing the handful of paramilitary personnel on Lowari
top.
They said if the government did not take precautionary measures
to stop the Taliban from entering Chitral, soon the already backward
valley would present the view of Stone Age with no education and
other basic amenities of life.
They said Taliban will easily enter Chitral through Lowari Pass as
hardly five to six police personnel that too with meager arms
ammunition deployed on the way was no big threat to them.
The recent killing of nine personnel of Chitral Scouts in Dir by the
Taliban has sparked anger throughout the serene valley.
In Chitral, they said, everybody is Afzal Khan Lala. The people of
Chitral are the most peace-loving in the whole country and any
conspiracy to sabotage the peace of teh valley would be retaliated
with full force of the local people, they added.
Chilim Jusht festival from next week
By Our Correspondent
CHITRAL: Chilim Jusht, the spring festival of Kalash people living in the three valleys of Bumburate, Rumbur and Birir, will commence in the second week of May and continue for five days, activists of Kalash development said.
Preparations for the festival have been started and the Kalash people, both male and female, are seen in city markets busy in shopping for the occasion. They have gotten many suits of traditional clothes stitched, renovated their houses and replaced the old utensils.
The festival usually attracts a large number of tourists to the valleys, but the Kalash activists said the turnout this year might be low because of the security situation in the Malakand division.
They said that during the festival, the number of tourists to the valleys reached its peak and all the hotels and rest houses were occupied to their capacities by the visitors.--Dawn
Four SHO s awarded
CHITRAL: Four station house officers of Chitral were awarded cash prizes and commendation certificates for their outstanding performance in curbing the menace of drugs in their respective areas, by DPO Mohammad Saleem Khan Marwat here on Monday.
Those who received the rewards were Mohammad Khalid of Drosh, Ali Murad of Arandu, Zafar Ahmed of Ayun and Inayatullah of the Chitral city.--Zahiruddin
The committee meeting held in the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Saeed Ahmed Zafar expressed serious concern over the activities of criminal elements and militants against foreign technical experts in the country.
The meeting was informed that many engineers and experts belonging to China and other countries had been kidnapped and killed in Balochistan and the NWFP.
The committee called upon the authorities to ensure safety to the foreign workers at the Lowari Tunnel.
Taliban flexing muscles for Chitral?
Report Zulfiqar Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: After completely ruining the peace of Swat, Buner and
Dir, now the next destination of Taliban seems to be Chitral, the
largest district of Malakand Division.
Sources told this reporter that the next target of Taliban is definitely
Chitral, where they could not reach due to the closure of the Lowari
Pass for the last over five months due to snow.
They are flexing their muscles to show dominance in the valley as quite
a large number of their like-minded hardliners are already there, said the
sources. According to these sources, Taliban access to Chitral will
damage the peace of the valley to the point of no return as the population
of the district consists of three communities - Sunni, Ismaili and Kalash.
Expressing grave concern and fear over the possible shift of Taliban
to Chitral after opening of the Lowari Pass, Chitralis living in twin
cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad have demanded of the government to
deploy troops replacing the handful of paramilitary personnel on Lowari
top.
They said if the government did not take precautionary measures
to stop the Taliban from entering Chitral, soon the already backward
valley would present the view of Stone Age with no education and
other basic amenities of life.
They said Taliban will easily enter Chitral through Lowari Pass as
hardly five to six police personnel that too with meager arms
ammunition deployed on the way was no big threat to them.
The recent killing of nine personnel of Chitral Scouts in Dir by the
Taliban has sparked anger throughout the serene valley.
In Chitral, they said, everybody is Afzal Khan Lala. The people of
Chitral are the most peace-loving in the whole country and any
conspiracy to sabotage the peace of teh valley would be retaliated
with full force of the local people, they added.
Chilim Jusht festival from next week
By Our Correspondent
CHITRAL: Chilim Jusht, the spring festival of Kalash people living in the three valleys of Bumburate, Rumbur and Birir, will commence in the second week of May and continue for five days, activists of Kalash development said.
Preparations for the festival have been started and the Kalash people, both male and female, are seen in city markets busy in shopping for the occasion. They have gotten many suits of traditional clothes stitched, renovated their houses and replaced the old utensils.
The festival usually attracts a large number of tourists to the valleys, but the Kalash activists said the turnout this year might be low because of the security situation in the Malakand division.
They said that during the festival, the number of tourists to the valleys reached its peak and all the hotels and rest houses were occupied to their capacities by the visitors.--Dawn
Four SHO s awarded
CHITRAL: Four station house officers of Chitral were awarded cash prizes and commendation certificates for their outstanding performance in curbing the menace of drugs in their respective areas, by DPO Mohammad Saleem Khan Marwat here on Monday.
Those who received the rewards were Mohammad Khalid of Drosh, Ali Murad of Arandu, Zafar Ahmed of Ayun and Inayatullah of the Chitral city.--Zahiruddin
Monday, May 4, 2009
Man seeks protection against elder brother in Chitral
CHITRAL: Mujahidur Rahman, a resident of Jughoor village, demanded of the government to provide him justice and safety against his elder brother, who ‘attempted to murder’ him on Saturday evening.
Addressing a press conference in the general ward of DHQ hospital here on Sunday, he alleged that the District Nazim, Maghfirat Shah, was using his influence to save his brother.
Mujahidur Rahman said he had a land dispute with his brother Jamshedur Rahman, who called him at his home on Saturday evening for a compromise, but allegedly fired at him, injuring him critically.
He said that although the police registered a case against the accused Jamshed and his accomplices, but no arrest had been made due to the ‘interference of the district nazim’. He alleged that some months ago, the local police had implicated him in a false case of forgery to pressurise him to withdraw from his claim on the land.
Mujahidur Rahman feared that the accused would go scot free due to the explicit support of Maghfirat Shah. He said the police did not bother to provide him security at the hospital, while the accused was free and could attack him again.
He claimed that due to his implication in the false case, he lost his job in Saudi Arabia. Mujahidur Rahman demanded of the chief minister, chief secretary and the IG police to help him. --Zahiruddin
Addressing a press conference in the general ward of DHQ hospital here on Sunday, he alleged that the District Nazim, Maghfirat Shah, was using his influence to save his brother.
Mujahidur Rahman said he had a land dispute with his brother Jamshedur Rahman, who called him at his home on Saturday evening for a compromise, but allegedly fired at him, injuring him critically.
He said that although the police registered a case against the accused Jamshed and his accomplices, but no arrest had been made due to the ‘interference of the district nazim’. He alleged that some months ago, the local police had implicated him in a false case of forgery to pressurise him to withdraw from his claim on the land.
Mujahidur Rahman feared that the accused would go scot free due to the explicit support of Maghfirat Shah. He said the police did not bother to provide him security at the hospital, while the accused was free and could attack him again.
He claimed that due to his implication in the false case, he lost his job in Saudi Arabia. Mujahidur Rahman demanded of the chief minister, chief secretary and the IG police to help him. --Zahiruddin
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Suspension of PIA's Saturday flight to Chitral slammed
CHITRAL: The residents of Chitral have condemned the PIA management for diverting its Peshawar-Chitral flight on each Saturday to Kabul.
Talking to this correspondent, they said that it was a great injustice with the people of Chitral, who greatly depended on such flights.
They said that due to closure of the Lowari Top road the postal system also greatly depended on the PIA flights.
They said that the management of the national airline should make some alternate arrangement for the Peshawar-Kabul route instead of diverting the Chitral flight.--Zahiruddin
Talking to this correspondent, they said that it was a great injustice with the people of Chitral, who greatly depended on such flights.
They said that due to closure of the Lowari Top road the postal system also greatly depended on the PIA flights.
They said that the management of the national airline should make some alternate arrangement for the Peshawar-Kabul route instead of diverting the Chitral flight.--Zahiruddin
More economic powers to Chitrali women promised
By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: Chairman of Biyar Local Support Organisation (BLSO) Syed Sardar Hussain Shah has said that the organisation is working on an extended programme to give economic emancipation to the womenfolk.
Talking to Dawn here on Saturday, he said that the BLSO was established three years ago with the help of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP).
He said that the organisation gave top priority to the women development from the day of its establishment in its area of activity in union council Charun.
Giving details of the programme, Mr Shah said that initially 140 women were imparted training in small enterprises in the leading institutions of Islamabad and Lahore who further trained the educated as well as the illiterate housewives.
He said that micro-credit scheme was then introduced which enabled the women to launch their own business on small-scale while guidance and counseling was provided to them on each step.
Mr Shah said that utilising their training in different trades, the women started manufacturing different articles like shampoo, organic jam, tomato paste apart from embroidery and raising household poultry and honeybees. He said that the women were also trained and helped to grow vegetables on commercial scale to supplement their income.
Describing the story of success, he said that the embroidery articles produced by the women were of superb quality and were put to exhibition in Islamabad on national level and the BLSO received demand of the articles from different countries including India and UAE. He said that the women also made carpets from pure wool, which were also in great demand.
The BLSO chairman said to discourage the middlemen, the organisation established a display centre at Booni to pool the produce of the women for onward marketing.
He said that according to a recently held survey, the women associated with BLSO earned more than Rs20,000 a month which helped them lead a respectable life while the number of suicide cases in the area had also declined.
Mr Shah said that the BLSO had also set up a maternity home at Charun Oveer which was a remote area and it had greatly helped to reduce the number of maternal and neonatal deaths.--Dawn
CHITRAL: Chairman of Biyar Local Support Organisation (BLSO) Syed Sardar Hussain Shah has said that the organisation is working on an extended programme to give economic emancipation to the womenfolk.
Talking to Dawn here on Saturday, he said that the BLSO was established three years ago with the help of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP).
He said that the organisation gave top priority to the women development from the day of its establishment in its area of activity in union council Charun.
Giving details of the programme, Mr Shah said that initially 140 women were imparted training in small enterprises in the leading institutions of Islamabad and Lahore who further trained the educated as well as the illiterate housewives.
He said that micro-credit scheme was then introduced which enabled the women to launch their own business on small-scale while guidance and counseling was provided to them on each step.
Mr Shah said that utilising their training in different trades, the women started manufacturing different articles like shampoo, organic jam, tomato paste apart from embroidery and raising household poultry and honeybees. He said that the women were also trained and helped to grow vegetables on commercial scale to supplement their income.
Describing the story of success, he said that the embroidery articles produced by the women were of superb quality and were put to exhibition in Islamabad on national level and the BLSO received demand of the articles from different countries including India and UAE. He said that the women also made carpets from pure wool, which were also in great demand.
The BLSO chairman said to discourage the middlemen, the organisation established a display centre at Booni to pool the produce of the women for onward marketing.
He said that according to a recently held survey, the women associated with BLSO earned more than Rs20,000 a month which helped them lead a respectable life while the number of suicide cases in the area had also declined.
Mr Shah said that the BLSO had also set up a maternity home at Charun Oveer which was a remote area and it had greatly helped to reduce the number of maternal and neonatal deaths.--Dawn
Call to ensure women rights
Report GH Farooqui
CHITRAL: A one-day workshop on women rights was held at Mulkho, some 98 KM from here. The programme was jointly organized by Khow Local Support Organization (KLSO) and Mulkhoh Cultural and Historical Society (MCHS) supported by Legal Awareness Program for Human Rights (LAPH).
Bashirullah, Manager KLSO, pointed out the main problems faced by women of the area like lack of health acre and education facilities. He said there is only one high school for 18,990 population which is not sufficient. He said women are being empowered by imparting them training in different skills like honey bee keeping, handicrafts etc. He said no society can develop until they involved women in the decision-making process because they are important component of the community.
Niaz Ali Shah, Chairman Board of Director of LAPH, highlighted women's rights on legal point of view. He said the main cause of women frustration was our attitude and denying women property rights and ignoring them in decision making. He said women are half of our total population and we should bring them forward for sustainable development. He said some are depriving women of their basic rights through wrong and traditional practices.
The speakers said due to discriminations we treated sons and daughters unequally which created frustration amomg females.
Ms Gulshad, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, highlighted women's rights on Islamic point of view as well as according to UN human rights charter.
Ghulam Muhayuddin lamented that due to our traditional practices women reamined undeveloped.
Chairman KLSO Mukarram Shah said women are deliberately being neglected and they are not given their rights. He said a nation can never develop until their women did not work shoulder to shoulder with their men.
CHITRAL: A one-day workshop on women rights was held at Mulkho, some 98 KM from here. The programme was jointly organized by Khow Local Support Organization (KLSO) and Mulkhoh Cultural and Historical Society (MCHS) supported by Legal Awareness Program for Human Rights (LAPH).
Bashirullah, Manager KLSO, pointed out the main problems faced by women of the area like lack of health acre and education facilities. He said there is only one high school for 18,990 population which is not sufficient. He said women are being empowered by imparting them training in different skills like honey bee keeping, handicrafts etc. He said no society can develop until they involved women in the decision-making process because they are important component of the community.
Niaz Ali Shah, Chairman Board of Director of LAPH, highlighted women's rights on legal point of view. He said the main cause of women frustration was our attitude and denying women property rights and ignoring them in decision making. He said women are half of our total population and we should bring them forward for sustainable development. He said some are depriving women of their basic rights through wrong and traditional practices.
The speakers said due to discriminations we treated sons and daughters unequally which created frustration amomg females.
Ms Gulshad, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, highlighted women's rights on Islamic point of view as well as according to UN human rights charter.
Ghulam Muhayuddin lamented that due to our traditional practices women reamined undeveloped.
Chairman KLSO Mukarram Shah said women are deliberately being neglected and they are not given their rights. He said a nation can never develop until their women did not work shoulder to shoulder with their men.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Encroachments on state lands in Chitral
By Islamuddin
Chitral is the biggest district of NWFP covering an area of about 15,000 square kilometers. Only 3% of this land is either under cultivation or built up and the remaining 97% land, comprising mountains, glaciers, forests, pastures, barren land and riverbed has traditionally been held by the people in common (shamilat). The entire population in the catchment areas have historically enjoyed user rights on these categories of lands.
In 1975 the Govt. of NWFP issued a notification to regulate use of the common land (shamilat). Under this notification control over the 97% land, comprising shamilat was given to the state, while the people were allowed user rights subject to state regulations. However, either owing to connivance or political pressure the Govt. machinery was unable to control and regulate the state land.
In 1977 when the PPP Govt. was overthrown, the landed aristocracy shifted its loyalty and became camp follower of Ziaul Haq in return for his support to subvert Bhutto’s Land Reforms. With the active patronage of Ziaul Haq, the judicial process was also manipulated to give legal cover to the encroachments of state land. Official custodians of state property opted to stay on side lines, while landed aristocracy fought out their cases in the courts. With the Govt. keeping out of the legal battles, the Notification of 1975 was not pressed into service until 2005, when the Chitral Dost Alliance made it an election issue. Again in the 2007 general elections the Notification of 1975 was made an election issue by the PPP candidate for the provincial seat. Soon after the election, in march 2007, the provincial Govt. of NWFP issued a circular to the settlement staff of Chitral not to transfer state lands to private individuals.
The people of Chitral have pined great hopes with the coalition Govt. of NWFP. Both PPP and ANP are perceived to be pro-poor parties. Their intention to implement 1975 Notification is a testimony of their commitment. But, as the saying goes, the taste of the pudding is in the eating. The people of Chitral want to see action on the ground. So far no drive has been launched to remove encroachments and reclaim state lands. We have yet to see the state impleading itself in cases involving state property. In fact it is still the other way round. State lands continue to be encroached. Land mafia is again trying to close ranks with the new ruling parties to protect their vested interests and defeat the laws of the land. Any further delay to establish writ of the Government may push it to evacuating state lands through military action.
On the one hand state is being deprived of its property and on the other hand reckless use of the land is pushing Chitral towards environmental catastrophy. Forests and glaciers are disappearing, roads and river leads are shrinking causing floods due to overflow. Land erosion, windstorms and floods have become order of the day. The people of Chitral are looking towards the Govt with expectancy. They are demanding of the Govt. to assert its authority. Encroachments should be removed and closed cases, where the Govt. failed to implead itself in land disputes, should be reopened. In case there are legal impediments, these should be removed through legislation.
The existing situation is simply untenable. How can 99% people survive on 2% land, while 98% land remains out of bound for them due to official apathy? The Govt must establish its writ and restore public confidence in its ability to do justice. It is time to act before it is too late and the suggested action should not confine itself to the reclaiming of the encroached state land but it must also include action against officials and elected representatives who failed to protect Govt. interests.
Chitral offers the promise of becoming the richest district, if it can reclaim its control over the 97% state land, which it can lease out to the local people. At present it is paying hefty amounts to land grabbers for buying sand, concrete and stones from the illegal occupants of river beds for its different development projects in the construction sector. It reflects poorly on the state and the people of Chitral, that a few land grabbers are fleecing them. Before the people of Chitral are pushed to the wall, the state must come to their rescue as well as to establish its own writ.
Kaghlasht Festival draws crowds
Report GH Farooqui
CHITRAL: Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Shahzada Mohiuddin said some 130 million rupees have been approved by the federal government for different uplift schemes in Chitral. He was speaking as chief guest at the concluding ceremony of Qaghlast Festival on Thursday. The MNA assured the participants of blacktopping the Mulkhow and Qaghlasht roads. He also announced Rs30,000 for the management committee of the festival. He said the young generation should participate in healthy activities to save themselves from social evils. He also presented the winner and runner-up trophies to different teams. Thousands of people participated in the final where the management committee had arranged for traditional plays with cultural shows and folk dance to enthrall the spectators. Other speakers on the occasion demanded water supply to this ground to irrigate it and for construction of a road. In the final of polo, Kosht defated the team of Booni by 3 to 2 goals. Sardar Ahmad was captain of the winner team while Shahzada Sikandarul Mulk led the runner-up team. Sardar Ahmad was also declared as man of the match. As many as six polo teams participated in the tournament.10 football teams participated in the festival. During the semi final Morder football tams versus Reshun team and Kushum versus Mastum contested in which Morder and Kushum football teams qualified for final match. In football, Morder defeated Kushum with a penalty as the match remained equal till the end. Muhammad Qadir was captain of winner team and Zulfiqar Ali of runner-up team. The Morder team captain was also declared man of the match. As many as 16 teams participated in cricket tournament. The cup went to the Booni team which defeated Medical Star with seven wickets. Inamullah of Booni white teams was declared man of the match while M. Zakeer of medical rep team was announced man of the tournament. In Tug of War, Mastuj Tehsil won the trophy by defeating Mulkhow. A total of 40 persons participated in race competition. Zahurul Hassan of Koragh scored 1st position, Shamsud Rehmat of Morder 2nd position and Amir Ali of Kosht remained third. 10 teams participated in volleyball tournament and the final match was played between Chitral Scouts and Booni in which Chitral Scouts defeated Booni by two to zero. A local traditional match called Ghaluchun Ghal was played between Booni and Mulkhow team in which Booni defeated Mulkhow. A competition of musical chair was also held among special people.
CHITRAL: Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Shahzada Mohiuddin said some 130 million rupees have been approved by the federal government for different uplift schemes in Chitral. He was speaking as chief guest at the concluding ceremony of Qaghlast Festival on Thursday. The MNA assured the participants of blacktopping the Mulkhow and Qaghlasht roads. He also announced Rs30,000 for the management committee of the festival. He said the young generation should participate in healthy activities to save themselves from social evils. He also presented the winner and runner-up trophies to different teams. Thousands of people participated in the final where the management committee had arranged for traditional plays with cultural shows and folk dance to enthrall the spectators. Other speakers on the occasion demanded water supply to this ground to irrigate it and for construction of a road. In the final of polo, Kosht defated the team of Booni by 3 to 2 goals. Sardar Ahmad was captain of the winner team while Shahzada Sikandarul Mulk led the runner-up team. Sardar Ahmad was also declared as man of the match. As many as six polo teams participated in the tournament.10 football teams participated in the festival. During the semi final Morder football tams versus Reshun team and Kushum versus Mastum contested in which Morder and Kushum football teams qualified for final match. In football, Morder defeated Kushum with a penalty as the match remained equal till the end. Muhammad Qadir was captain of winner team and Zulfiqar Ali of runner-up team. The Morder team captain was also declared man of the match. As many as 16 teams participated in cricket tournament. The cup went to the Booni team which defeated Medical Star with seven wickets. Inamullah of Booni white teams was declared man of the match while M. Zakeer of medical rep team was announced man of the tournament. In Tug of War, Mastuj Tehsil won the trophy by defeating Mulkhow. A total of 40 persons participated in race competition. Zahurul Hassan of Koragh scored 1st position, Shamsud Rehmat of Morder 2nd position and Amir Ali of Kosht remained third. 10 teams participated in volleyball tournament and the final match was played between Chitral Scouts and Booni in which Chitral Scouts defeated Booni by two to zero. A local traditional match called Ghaluchun Ghal was played between Booni and Mulkhow team in which Booni defeated Mulkhow. A competition of musical chair was also held among special people.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Chitral polytechnic institute remains incomplete
CHITRAL: Establishment of polytechnic institute in the district remains a dream for another year as the building is unlikely to be completed by June due to lack of funds, sources in the works and services department told this correspondent.
They said that the scheme was short of Rs6 million for which the finance department had been approached which was yet to be entertained. The estimated cost of the building was Rs78.530 million and work on it had started three years ago. Its stipulated time of completion was June 2008 but it was delayed by one year due to the slow pace of work.
The people of Chitral had attached importance to the establishment of the polytechnic institute as there was no institution for technical education in the district.
A resident said that Chitral was the only district in the province having no polytechnic institute. After passing matriculation examination, the students had to go to other neighbouring districts to seek admission in classes of associate engineering but very few seats were made available to them.
He said that classes were to be commenced in the polytechnic institute right from the current year but it could not be possible due to negligence of the works and services department.
Sources in the finance department said that due to slow progress in the construction work, some of its funds were diverted to another district which caused shortage of funds.
The residents have demanded of the government to release funds to ensure completion of the work before June so that classes could be started during the current academic year.--Zahiruddin
They said that the scheme was short of Rs6 million for which the finance department had been approached which was yet to be entertained. The estimated cost of the building was Rs78.530 million and work on it had started three years ago. Its stipulated time of completion was June 2008 but it was delayed by one year due to the slow pace of work.
The people of Chitral had attached importance to the establishment of the polytechnic institute as there was no institution for technical education in the district.
A resident said that Chitral was the only district in the province having no polytechnic institute. After passing matriculation examination, the students had to go to other neighbouring districts to seek admission in classes of associate engineering but very few seats were made available to them.
He said that classes were to be commenced in the polytechnic institute right from the current year but it could not be possible due to negligence of the works and services department.
Sources in the finance department said that due to slow progress in the construction work, some of its funds were diverted to another district which caused shortage of funds.
The residents have demanded of the government to release funds to ensure completion of the work before June so that classes could be started during the current academic year.--Zahiruddin
Monday, April 27, 2009
Bodies of nine Chitral Scouts personnel arrive in Chitral
Report Bashir Hussain Azad
CHITRAL. The whole of Chitral was saddended when the bodies of nine Chitral Scouts personnel killed by militants in Lower Dir arrived here in Army helicopters on Monday.
Those who embraced martyrdom and whose bodies arrived here were: Naib Subaidar Nasirullah from Barinis, Sepoy Amanullah, Soweer, Drosh; Sher Nawaz, Rayeen, Torkow; Bahadur Shah, Warkup, Turkow; Ajayeeb Khan, Moomi, Lotkow; Bashir Ahmed, Reshun; Sher Azam, Sinlasht, Bashiruddin, Verkhop, Torkhow, and Zakir Khan.
The bodies were first taken to the Headquarters of Chitral Scouts in the city and later sent to their native villages in ambulances, and laid to rest with full military honour.
Meanwhile, two personnel were injured and hospitalized in Dir area. they were Sirajuddin from Torkhown and Rehmat Khan of Barenis.
CHITRAL. The whole of Chitral was saddended when the bodies of nine Chitral Scouts personnel killed by militants in Lower Dir arrived here in Army helicopters on Monday.
Those who embraced martyrdom and whose bodies arrived here were: Naib Subaidar Nasirullah from Barinis, Sepoy Amanullah, Soweer, Drosh; Sher Nawaz, Rayeen, Torkow; Bahadur Shah, Warkup, Turkow; Ajayeeb Khan, Moomi, Lotkow; Bashir Ahmed, Reshun; Sher Azam, Sinlasht, Bashiruddin, Verkhop, Torkhow, and Zakir Khan.
The bodies were first taken to the Headquarters of Chitral Scouts in the city and later sent to their native villages in ambulances, and laid to rest with full military honour.
Meanwhile, two personnel were injured and hospitalized in Dir area. they were Sirajuddin from Torkhown and Rehmat Khan of Barenis.
Another good news for Chitral - Letter
The election MNA Shahzada Muhiuddin as chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on Kashmir affairs and Northern Area is another good news for the people of Chitral. This whole year has been favourable for Chitral, because we have already a provincial minister after 39 years.
It is a fact that Chitral and Northern Areas have the historical and traditional links since time immorial. We have common languages, traditions and the people in both sides face same kind of problems, our honorable MNA has a great vision and insight about the problems of both the areas. The election of Mohiuddin as a chairman of the important committee shows the appropriate decision in a suitable time. We the people of Chitral hope that our MNA will not lose this opportunity to serve the people of our area by improving the communication links, road network and people-to-people contacts. These areas have great potentials in the field of tourism and our MNA has the experience in the field of tourism as well, and it is hoped that he will struggle to serve his area to take the locality out of the deep abyss of backwardness. For the first time our district ahs got two high-profile posts in the government and we hope their efforts will bear fruits very soon. These leaders now should come out of the politics of confrontation and persue the greater politics of reconciliation for the development and betterment of our area as well as our beloved country.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
It is a fact that Chitral and Northern Areas have the historical and traditional links since time immorial. We have common languages, traditions and the people in both sides face same kind of problems, our honorable MNA has a great vision and insight about the problems of both the areas. The election of Mohiuddin as a chairman of the important committee shows the appropriate decision in a suitable time. We the people of Chitral hope that our MNA will not lose this opportunity to serve the people of our area by improving the communication links, road network and people-to-people contacts. These areas have great potentials in the field of tourism and our MNA has the experience in the field of tourism as well, and it is hoped that he will struggle to serve his area to take the locality out of the deep abyss of backwardness. For the first time our district ahs got two high-profile posts in the government and we hope their efforts will bear fruits very soon. These leaders now should come out of the politics of confrontation and persue the greater politics of reconciliation for the development and betterment of our area as well as our beloved country.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Pay raise: Making police Mughal-e-Azam
I welcome 100% increase in the pay of Police Jawans and officers in NWFP and other Provinces and at the same time, I raise a question on the police stations in NWFP and other provinces. Problems of the masses do not relate to the police pay and allowances, our problems relate to police culture in the police station. An SHO getting 16000/= rupees pay per month was showing the attitude of Hitler and Pharoh in police stations. Now an SHO getting 32000/= rupees pay per month will become “ Moghal-e-Azam” An ordinary citizen will never dare lodge an FIR in the police station or register a complaint in the presence of the “ Moghal-e-Azam” . More over, former SHO used to demand minimum Rs 15000/= for listening to a complaint. Now the better privileged SHO will demand double of that amount to listen to the complaint of an ordinary person.
I suggest that curriculum of the police training schools may also be changed and methods of instruction in police academies may also be revised so that there is some sort of difference between a police and a “Dracola”. Cent percent increase in pay should not be instrumental to increase the rate of bribes up to 100% in future.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
_________________________________________________________________
I suggest that curriculum of the police training schools may also be changed and methods of instruction in police academies may also be revised so that there is some sort of difference between a police and a “Dracola”. Cent percent increase in pay should not be instrumental to increase the rate of bribes up to 100% in future.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
_________________________________________________________________
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Mohiuddin made chairman NA Kashmir committee
ISLAMABAD: MNA from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin was on Thursday appointed chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas. He will have the status equal to a federal minisiter.
The government decision is subsequent to the MNA's support to the ruling Pakistan People's Party which he announced before the presidential election. Earlier, the distribution of the Benazir Income Support Programme cards in Chitral was also entrusted to him.
The government decision is subsequent to the MNA's support to the ruling Pakistan People's Party which he announced before the presidential election. Earlier, the distribution of the Benazir Income Support Programme cards in Chitral was also entrusted to him.
PPP veterans demand dissolution of district cabinet
Report GH Farooqui
CHITRAL: A convention of Pakistan People's Party senior workers (pioneers) was held at Jilani house presided over by Gul Nawaz Khaki.
Hundreds of party workers especially senior members attended the convention. The participants through a unanimous resolution demanded dissolution of the district cabinet of the PPP and selection of an interim cabinet. The participants also extended a previous resolution in which they had expressed no-trust in the district cabinet. The senior workers strongly criticized the office-bearers of the present cabinet and alleged that they had committed 'treachery' which resulted in the defeat of PPP candidate in the 2008 elections. Senior workers of PPP who attended the convention from very far flung areas suggested to save the party from division in different groups and to unite all workers and members to strengthen it. They said the cabinet members under a conspiracy had recommended the name of a non-popular person for the ticket of National Assembly seat who was defeated badly. They stressed upon the workers to detail a delegation and to meet provincial minister Saleem Khan for uniting the party workers.
The speakers also condemned some of the party workers who cast their votes in favor of an opposition candidate. Extending the previous resolution of 19th April, they felicitated provincial President Syed Zahir Ali Shah and expressed full confidence in his leadership. They had criticized Najmuddin Khan for selecting his near and dears ones as party leader; as a result the party was divided in groups and faced great loss. They also announced that anyone nominate by Najmuddin Khan would be rejected in future. Those who spoke on the occasion were Shahzada Nisar Jilani, Subhanud Din, M. Hassan, Haji Muhammad, Haji Abdul Rehman, Engineer Taimour Shah, H. Haider, Burhan Shah Advocate, Babu Muhammad, Zahir Shah, Haji Karam Elahi and Gul Nawaz Khaki.
A large number of senior workers of PPP attended the convention. They announced that next meeting would be held on 5th May to decide the future plan.
CHITRAL: A convention of Pakistan People's Party senior workers (pioneers) was held at Jilani house presided over by Gul Nawaz Khaki.
Hundreds of party workers especially senior members attended the convention. The participants through a unanimous resolution demanded dissolution of the district cabinet of the PPP and selection of an interim cabinet. The participants also extended a previous resolution in which they had expressed no-trust in the district cabinet. The senior workers strongly criticized the office-bearers of the present cabinet and alleged that they had committed 'treachery' which resulted in the defeat of PPP candidate in the 2008 elections. Senior workers of PPP who attended the convention from very far flung areas suggested to save the party from division in different groups and to unite all workers and members to strengthen it. They said the cabinet members under a conspiracy had recommended the name of a non-popular person for the ticket of National Assembly seat who was defeated badly. They stressed upon the workers to detail a delegation and to meet provincial minister Saleem Khan for uniting the party workers.
The speakers also condemned some of the party workers who cast their votes in favor of an opposition candidate. Extending the previous resolution of 19th April, they felicitated provincial President Syed Zahir Ali Shah and expressed full confidence in his leadership. They had criticized Najmuddin Khan for selecting his near and dears ones as party leader; as a result the party was divided in groups and faced great loss. They also announced that anyone nominate by Najmuddin Khan would be rejected in future. Those who spoke on the occasion were Shahzada Nisar Jilani, Subhanud Din, M. Hassan, Haji Muhammad, Haji Abdul Rehman, Engineer Taimour Shah, H. Haider, Burhan Shah Advocate, Babu Muhammad, Zahir Shah, Haji Karam Elahi and Gul Nawaz Khaki.
A large number of senior workers of PPP attended the convention. They announced that next meeting would be held on 5th May to decide the future plan.
Agriculture sector needs to be rediscovered
By Our Correspondent
CHITRAL: The agriculture sector needs designing a comprehensive, cost-effective and responsive system, incorporating soil conservation techniques and extending the area under-cultivation to make the sector sustainable and lucrative.
Agricultural expert Nauroze Wali told this scribe here on Wednesday that although the agriculture was occupation of major portion of the population but the income accrued from it was very low to support families without supplementing other occupations.
He said that only three per cent of the total area of the district was cultivable while the rest of it contained mountains, forests, glaciers, snow and rocks. He said that with the rapid increase in population, the area under-cultivation went on shrinking as the lands were used for construction purposes.
“It is a pity that the sector engages more than sixty per cent of the manpower but it fulfils less than fifty per cent of their needs keeping the farmers needy and indigent for ever,” he said. Although, mechanised farming had adopted in all parts of the district for the last two decades but the methods of farming and approach for crop choice was still obsolete, he said.
He said that the land was not suitable for wheat crop but it was grown on more than 99 per cent area under-cultivation without caring its output. He said that the district could be divided into many zones due to its enormous size and each zone was suitable for certain crops. When persuaded by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), the farmers of Garam Chashma valley switched over to potato crop which fetched them lucrative income.
Mr Wali appreciated the efforts of the AKRSP for promoting fruit and vegetable in the area and imparting training to the women for the first time to generate income. The agriculture section raised nurseries of fruit trees and distributed the saplings of the improved qualities of apricot, apple and pear among the farmers, he said. He said that some valleys were known for the superb quality of local species of apple and pear and had great potential to change the very destiny of the farmers.
Regarding the livestock and poultry, he termed the situation of farmers more pitiable and said that the sector was hit by fodder shortage and vulnerability to diseases.
Meanwhile, a number of farmers said that apart from the agriculture department of the province, some other government-run organisations were also launched here for the promotion of agriculture, but they failed miserably. They described the names of on farm water management programme, project for horticulture promotion and the agriculture section of Chitral Area Development Project.
They said that the irrigation department miserably failed to complete more than ten projects of irrigation channels to bring more land under cultivation. They said that thousands of hectares of arid land could be brought under cultivation to increase the agricultural produce.
They said that agriculture could be transformed into a full-time profession if the potential was fully exploited on scientific basis with earnestness of the government. They said that the Lowari tunnel was nearly completion providing all-weather road to the district and it would increase the profitability of Chitral’s horticulture sector.--Dawn
Appointment of female EDO chitral hailed
CHITRAL: Lady Councillor Zulaikha Rahim has appreciated the appointment of Gulsambar Begum as executive district officer education in Chitral.
In a press statement issued here on Wednesday, she expressed the hope that the officer was well-conversant with the problems of education of the district and she would prove her mettle by raising the standard of education. She said that sector of female education needed special attention and the newly appointed EDO would use her best abilities in this regard.--Zahiruddin
Earth day observed in Chitral
CHITRAL: To create public awareness about importance of earth and conservation of natural resources, the Program for Mountain Area Conservation (PMAC), Ministry of Environment, held an event at Garam Chashma in collaboration with teh Conservation Management Committee (CMC) and village conservation committees (VCC). In this connection, a walk comprising students of different schools was also held. the participants carrying banners inscribed with messages to protect the earth walked through different bazaars and ended at GHS Garam Chashma. A function was also held in Government Higher Secondary School Garam Chashma where Amir Wali Khan, President CMC, was chief guest while the ceremony was presided over by Khuda Panah, Principal of this school. Atta Elahi, education officer of PMAC, briefed the participants. He said we should protect the earth and save it from pollution as it was like our mother.--GH Farooqui
Khowar program - Letter 2
On 21st April, the people of Chitral throughout the country and abroad with great joy and excitement watched Khyber news telecast in Khowar. Before 5pm people switched their digital devices to Khyber News, because in Chitral and Gilgit the channel is no longer available on Asia Sat-3, which is very popular among viewers.The first maiden attempt was well thought and well tailored attempt. I have a piece of suggestion for Khyber News. I propose that the 60-minute slat should be divided into four segments of equal timings i.e. 15 minutes each for news with current affairs corner, personality of the week and topic for the week.It would be convenient of the channel is made available on Asia Sat-3 once again.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
Khowar program - Letter 1
Hats off to the Khyber News initiative on Hindko and Khowar news in its regular telecast. After first Hindko news last week, Chitrali programme of news and views was telecast on Tuesday, 21st April 2009, at 5pm. Television is a powerful media and more than one million viewers of Khowar in Chitral, Gilgit and other parts of the Country and abroad now have access to electronic media through the Khyber news. I do congratulate the management of Khyber news for this initiative. I do hope the channel will include more informative segments like “ hot topic of the day” , or “ interesting conversation of the day” etc. I suggest only 20 minute for each segment. It would be convenient if the channel is linked up to Asia sat-3.
Dr. Inayat Ullah Faizi
Chitral.
50 small powerhouses for Chitral promised
By Our Correspondent
CHITRAL: District Nazim Maghfirat Shah has said that the federal minister for science and technology had assured the district government of construction of over 50 small hydro-power stations in Chitral.
Led by the district nazim, a team of the district government called on Minister Azam Swati in Islamabad on Wednesday to apprise him of the hydro-power potentials in the district and seek help of the ministry in this regard.
Talking to Dawn by telephone, the district nazim said that the minister expressed deep interest in the power potential of the district and accepted the invitation of the team to visit Chitral with a technical team to observe the sites.
He said that the delegation of the district government consisted of district Naib Nazim Sultan Shah, member district council Abdul Qayum Baig and others. He said that the district government had approached all relevant quarters to exploit the hydro-power potentials of the district from the very beginning.
He said that the fifty sites had a generation capacity of more than 500 kilowatts each and would provide cheaper electricity to the locals which would decrease burden on the forests. He said that the forests were depleting fast as the people depend on it to secure firewood in the absence of alternate sources.--Dawn
CHITRAL: The agriculture sector needs designing a comprehensive, cost-effective and responsive system, incorporating soil conservation techniques and extending the area under-cultivation to make the sector sustainable and lucrative.
Agricultural expert Nauroze Wali told this scribe here on Wednesday that although the agriculture was occupation of major portion of the population but the income accrued from it was very low to support families without supplementing other occupations.
He said that only three per cent of the total area of the district was cultivable while the rest of it contained mountains, forests, glaciers, snow and rocks. He said that with the rapid increase in population, the area under-cultivation went on shrinking as the lands were used for construction purposes.
“It is a pity that the sector engages more than sixty per cent of the manpower but it fulfils less than fifty per cent of their needs keeping the farmers needy and indigent for ever,” he said. Although, mechanised farming had adopted in all parts of the district for the last two decades but the methods of farming and approach for crop choice was still obsolete, he said.
He said that the land was not suitable for wheat crop but it was grown on more than 99 per cent area under-cultivation without caring its output. He said that the district could be divided into many zones due to its enormous size and each zone was suitable for certain crops. When persuaded by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), the farmers of Garam Chashma valley switched over to potato crop which fetched them lucrative income.
Mr Wali appreciated the efforts of the AKRSP for promoting fruit and vegetable in the area and imparting training to the women for the first time to generate income. The agriculture section raised nurseries of fruit trees and distributed the saplings of the improved qualities of apricot, apple and pear among the farmers, he said. He said that some valleys were known for the superb quality of local species of apple and pear and had great potential to change the very destiny of the farmers.
Regarding the livestock and poultry, he termed the situation of farmers more pitiable and said that the sector was hit by fodder shortage and vulnerability to diseases.
Meanwhile, a number of farmers said that apart from the agriculture department of the province, some other government-run organisations were also launched here for the promotion of agriculture, but they failed miserably. They described the names of on farm water management programme, project for horticulture promotion and the agriculture section of Chitral Area Development Project.
They said that the irrigation department miserably failed to complete more than ten projects of irrigation channels to bring more land under cultivation. They said that thousands of hectares of arid land could be brought under cultivation to increase the agricultural produce.
They said that agriculture could be transformed into a full-time profession if the potential was fully exploited on scientific basis with earnestness of the government. They said that the Lowari tunnel was nearly completion providing all-weather road to the district and it would increase the profitability of Chitral’s horticulture sector.--Dawn
Appointment of female EDO chitral hailed
CHITRAL: Lady Councillor Zulaikha Rahim has appreciated the appointment of Gulsambar Begum as executive district officer education in Chitral.
In a press statement issued here on Wednesday, she expressed the hope that the officer was well-conversant with the problems of education of the district and she would prove her mettle by raising the standard of education. She said that sector of female education needed special attention and the newly appointed EDO would use her best abilities in this regard.--Zahiruddin
Earth day observed in Chitral
CHITRAL: To create public awareness about importance of earth and conservation of natural resources, the Program for Mountain Area Conservation (PMAC), Ministry of Environment, held an event at Garam Chashma in collaboration with teh Conservation Management Committee (CMC) and village conservation committees (VCC). In this connection, a walk comprising students of different schools was also held. the participants carrying banners inscribed with messages to protect the earth walked through different bazaars and ended at GHS Garam Chashma. A function was also held in Government Higher Secondary School Garam Chashma where Amir Wali Khan, President CMC, was chief guest while the ceremony was presided over by Khuda Panah, Principal of this school. Atta Elahi, education officer of PMAC, briefed the participants. He said we should protect the earth and save it from pollution as it was like our mother.--GH Farooqui
Khowar program - Letter 2
On 21st April, the people of Chitral throughout the country and abroad with great joy and excitement watched Khyber news telecast in Khowar. Before 5pm people switched their digital devices to Khyber News, because in Chitral and Gilgit the channel is no longer available on Asia Sat-3, which is very popular among viewers.The first maiden attempt was well thought and well tailored attempt. I have a piece of suggestion for Khyber News. I propose that the 60-minute slat should be divided into four segments of equal timings i.e. 15 minutes each for news with current affairs corner, personality of the week and topic for the week.It would be convenient of the channel is made available on Asia Sat-3 once again.
Bashir Hussain Azad,
Chitral.
Khowar program - Letter 1
Hats off to the Khyber News initiative on Hindko and Khowar news in its regular telecast. After first Hindko news last week, Chitrali programme of news and views was telecast on Tuesday, 21st April 2009, at 5pm. Television is a powerful media and more than one million viewers of Khowar in Chitral, Gilgit and other parts of the Country and abroad now have access to electronic media through the Khyber news. I do congratulate the management of Khyber news for this initiative. I do hope the channel will include more informative segments like “ hot topic of the day” , or “ interesting conversation of the day” etc. I suggest only 20 minute for each segment. It would be convenient if the channel is linked up to Asia sat-3.
Dr. Inayat Ullah Faizi
Chitral.
50 small powerhouses for Chitral promised
By Our Correspondent
CHITRAL: District Nazim Maghfirat Shah has said that the federal minister for science and technology had assured the district government of construction of over 50 small hydro-power stations in Chitral.
Led by the district nazim, a team of the district government called on Minister Azam Swati in Islamabad on Wednesday to apprise him of the hydro-power potentials in the district and seek help of the ministry in this regard.
Talking to Dawn by telephone, the district nazim said that the minister expressed deep interest in the power potential of the district and accepted the invitation of the team to visit Chitral with a technical team to observe the sites.
He said that the delegation of the district government consisted of district Naib Nazim Sultan Shah, member district council Abdul Qayum Baig and others. He said that the district government had approached all relevant quarters to exploit the hydro-power potentials of the district from the very beginning.
He said that the fifty sites had a generation capacity of more than 500 kilowatts each and would provide cheaper electricity to the locals which would decrease burden on the forests. He said that the forests were depleting fast as the people depend on it to secure firewood in the absence of alternate sources.--Dawn
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Conspiracy to shut down Chitral Radio
Report Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: The transmissions of local station of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation have been suspended for the last four days owing to loadshedding and residents of the district have termed it a conspiracy to close down Chitral radio station permanently.
An official of the radio station told this correspondent on Tuesday that they had received instructions from the headquarters of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation not to use the diesel generators during loadshedding hours. He said that the station broadcast programmes of six hours duration daily in the evening and it coincided with the power loadshedding.
He said that the radio station was electrified by two generators which were run simultaneously. He denied the speculations of the public that the station was being closed down saying that it was being done to save the high costs of diesel. He said that transmissions would be started when electricity was supplied by Pesco.
He said that the station had recently been upgraded by the installation of FM transmitters and now its transmissions were received in a radius of more than 50 kilometres while previously it were confined to only 10 kilometres.
Another official of the radio station said that the problem of power loadshedding and instructions about not using generators had left more than 40,000 listeners in Chitral with no other option but to hear the transmissions of Radio Kabul, All India Radio and Voice of America.
“The Chitral station of Radio Pakistan has more than 40,000 listeners as we receive more than 1000 letters per month besides telephone calls and emails,” he added. He said that residents of Chitral could not hear the transmissions of Peshawar and Islamabad stations, so they were totally depended on local radio station.
He regretted that contrary to Islamabad and Peshawar stations of Radio Pakistan, the transmissions of All India Radio, Voice of America and Radio Kabul could be easily heard in the area.
“If we stop airing our programmes, people will have no other choice but to opt for these radios,” he said. He added that they aired programmes in local Khowar language which were very popular among the locals. “Listeners are upset as they cannot hear the Khowar programmes. They call us and show concerns over the suspension of Khowar programmes,” he added.
He was of the view that people would listen to foreign radio or a local FM radio, which broadcast only Indian songs, if they stopped transmissions. “A newly established FM radio broadcasts nothing except Indian songs. If we stop transmissions people will listen Indian songs and foreign radios, which is dangerous for the sense of patriotism,” he added.
The president of Comperes Association of the station, Khurshid Ahmed, alleged that the transmissions were being closed permanently on the pretext of loadshedding.
In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, he said that local radio was not only a source of entertainment and current affairs but it also preserved the local culture, language and literature. The closing down of Chitral radio station would inflict a great harm on the residents of the district. He said that the people of Chitral very fondly tuned their radio sets to the local station as there was no other source of entertainment in the area. He demanded of prime minister and information minister to order the authorities concerned to resume the transmissions of Chitral radio station.--Dawn
CHITRAL: The transmissions of local station of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation have been suspended for the last four days owing to loadshedding and residents of the district have termed it a conspiracy to close down Chitral radio station permanently.
An official of the radio station told this correspondent on Tuesday that they had received instructions from the headquarters of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation not to use the diesel generators during loadshedding hours. He said that the station broadcast programmes of six hours duration daily in the evening and it coincided with the power loadshedding.
He said that the radio station was electrified by two generators which were run simultaneously. He denied the speculations of the public that the station was being closed down saying that it was being done to save the high costs of diesel. He said that transmissions would be started when electricity was supplied by Pesco.
He said that the station had recently been upgraded by the installation of FM transmitters and now its transmissions were received in a radius of more than 50 kilometres while previously it were confined to only 10 kilometres.
Another official of the radio station said that the problem of power loadshedding and instructions about not using generators had left more than 40,000 listeners in Chitral with no other option but to hear the transmissions of Radio Kabul, All India Radio and Voice of America.
“The Chitral station of Radio Pakistan has more than 40,000 listeners as we receive more than 1000 letters per month besides telephone calls and emails,” he added. He said that residents of Chitral could not hear the transmissions of Peshawar and Islamabad stations, so they were totally depended on local radio station.
He regretted that contrary to Islamabad and Peshawar stations of Radio Pakistan, the transmissions of All India Radio, Voice of America and Radio Kabul could be easily heard in the area.
“If we stop airing our programmes, people will have no other choice but to opt for these radios,” he said. He added that they aired programmes in local Khowar language which were very popular among the locals. “Listeners are upset as they cannot hear the Khowar programmes. They call us and show concerns over the suspension of Khowar programmes,” he added.
He was of the view that people would listen to foreign radio or a local FM radio, which broadcast only Indian songs, if they stopped transmissions. “A newly established FM radio broadcasts nothing except Indian songs. If we stop transmissions people will listen Indian songs and foreign radios, which is dangerous for the sense of patriotism,” he added.
The president of Comperes Association of the station, Khurshid Ahmed, alleged that the transmissions were being closed permanently on the pretext of loadshedding.
In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, he said that local radio was not only a source of entertainment and current affairs but it also preserved the local culture, language and literature. The closing down of Chitral radio station would inflict a great harm on the residents of the district. He said that the people of Chitral very fondly tuned their radio sets to the local station as there was no other source of entertainment in the area. He demanded of prime minister and information minister to order the authorities concerned to resume the transmissions of Chitral radio station.--Dawn
Transparency in stipends for gril students urged
By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: Residents of Chitral have demanded of the government to ensure transparency in disbursement of stipends to the female students studying in government-run schools.
Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, a number of residents said that strict vigilance should be kept over officials responsible for disbursing the amount among the students. They said that committees at union council level should be constituted to monitor the process.
They proposed that the stipend money must be delivered in the presence of committee members so that no one might be able to cheat the students. They hailed the government for taking such a step, saying, this would enable the poor students to carry on their studies and would also effectively check the dropout rate.
The residents said that although the enrolment rate of female students at primary level was very high but the dropout rate was also alarming because of poverty in the remote valleys of Chitral.
MAN DIES: Yet another person lost his life while crossing the Lowari Top after officials of the National Highway Authority (NHA) denied him permission to pass through the Lowari tunnel, sources said.
The deceased, Niamatur Rehman, was a resident of Sheshi Koh valley and was serving in the Frontier Constabulary and was going back to his place of posting in Darra Adamkhel.
The Chitral police recovered his body from under the avalanche and handed over to his relatives.
During the current winter season, more than fifteen persons have died in their desperate attempt to cross the snow-clad Lowari Top located at an altitude of 10,230 feet above the sea level.
The residents have condemned the incidents in which precious human lives were lost and held the federal government responsible for the casualties by not allowing the passengers to pass through the tunnel.--Dawn
CHITRAL: Residents of Chitral have demanded of the government to ensure transparency in disbursement of stipends to the female students studying in government-run schools.
Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, a number of residents said that strict vigilance should be kept over officials responsible for disbursing the amount among the students. They said that committees at union council level should be constituted to monitor the process.
They proposed that the stipend money must be delivered in the presence of committee members so that no one might be able to cheat the students. They hailed the government for taking such a step, saying, this would enable the poor students to carry on their studies and would also effectively check the dropout rate.
The residents said that although the enrolment rate of female students at primary level was very high but the dropout rate was also alarming because of poverty in the remote valleys of Chitral.
MAN DIES: Yet another person lost his life while crossing the Lowari Top after officials of the National Highway Authority (NHA) denied him permission to pass through the Lowari tunnel, sources said.
The deceased, Niamatur Rehman, was a resident of Sheshi Koh valley and was serving in the Frontier Constabulary and was going back to his place of posting in Darra Adamkhel.
The Chitral police recovered his body from under the avalanche and handed over to his relatives.
During the current winter season, more than fifteen persons have died in their desperate attempt to cross the snow-clad Lowari Top located at an altitude of 10,230 feet above the sea level.
The residents have condemned the incidents in which precious human lives were lost and held the federal government responsible for the casualties by not allowing the passengers to pass through the tunnel.--Dawn
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
AVT Khyber launches weekly Khowar programme
Chitral Update Report
ISLAMABAD: A weekly Khowar programme went on air for the first time on Pushto AVT Khyber TV channel on Tuesday afternoon.
The one-hourly programme will be telecast on every Tuesday at 5pm.
The programme consisted of a ten-minute news bulletin about Chitral and an interview of former Chitrali bureaucrat Mohammad Wali Khan. The interview was conducted by Rehmat Aziz, a Chitrali journalist, poet and author, while Zhanoyar Khan presented the news.
Chitralis have thanked Chief Executive Khyber TV Kamran Hamid Raja for allocating one hour weekly air time for the Khowar programme and said this would play an important role in promotion of Chitrali language and culture. They said what the government could not do in decades for giving air time to Chitral, the Khyber TV management has done it within a short period of time.
Women urged to adopt bee farming as profession
By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: In continuation of its efforts to provide economic emancipation to the womenfolk in Chitral, the Regional Women Empowerment Project (RWEP) of the AKRSP has included honey beekeeping in its programme.
This was stated by project manager of the RWEP Imtiaz Ahmed while speaking at the concluding ceremony of a three-day workshop on ‘honey beekeeping as profession for women’ held here on Monday. He said that the organisation was looking for new opportunities to provide employment to the women.
He said that the workshop was arranged for the women of lower parts of Chitral. They were imparted extensive practical training, he said, adding that necessary gadgets and paraphernalia would also be provided to the participants to enable them to start the hobby in light of the training.
Mr Ahmed said that the RWEP would continue to provide technical assistance to the women at their doorsteps to enable them to adopt the honey beekeeping as a full-time profession to earn livelihood for their families and raise their standard of life.
He said that a co-sponsor of the workshop, Hashoo Foundation had pledged to market their products abroad which would bring them a lucrative income. The women would thus be linked to the national market and would not be vulnerable to the middleman who exploited them in the cottage industry, he added.
He was of the view that due to the abundance of flowering plants in the area and the long span of the blossoming period from the month of April through September, the local honey was in great demand in the market due to its special characteristics.
The RWEP official said that another co-sponsor of the workshop was WWF which provided technical resource persons who had rich experience in the field which they transmitted to the women in comprehensible language. He said that such workshops were scheduled to be arranged in upper parts of the district.
He said that training workshop on poultry farming had recently been arranged for the women of upper Chitral at Booni. He said that political empowerment of women was not possible without their economic emancipation.--Dawn
Monday, April 20, 2009
Power project; ADB teams arrives in Chitral to prepare feasibility report
By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: A team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has arrived in Chitral to carry out feasibility study of two hydropower projects in the district, sources said on Sunday.
In a brief presentation to District Nazim Maghfirat Shah, the team members said that one of the two projects was located at Sin near Chitral city and the other at Zhondoli Kushum in upper Chitral.
The ADB team members said that the project at Sin had a design capacity of 127MW and involved a 10km tunnel while that of Kushum had 102MW generation capacity and required an 8.5km long tunnel. They told the district nazim that a comprehensive study of various parameters of the area including its geophysical study would be carried out before embarking upon the projects.
The district nazim asked the ADB team members to make the projects multi-purpose and provide irrigation water to the area by raising the head of the tunnels. He proposed that the altitudes of the tunnel at Terich valley should be increased which would not only shorten the length of the tunnel but also bring thousands of acres of arid land under cultivation. This would lead to economic prosperity in the area, he said.--Dawn
CHITRAL: A team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has arrived in Chitral to carry out feasibility study of two hydropower projects in the district, sources said on Sunday.
In a brief presentation to District Nazim Maghfirat Shah, the team members said that one of the two projects was located at Sin near Chitral city and the other at Zhondoli Kushum in upper Chitral.
The ADB team members said that the project at Sin had a design capacity of 127MW and involved a 10km tunnel while that of Kushum had 102MW generation capacity and required an 8.5km long tunnel. They told the district nazim that a comprehensive study of various parameters of the area including its geophysical study would be carried out before embarking upon the projects.
The district nazim asked the ADB team members to make the projects multi-purpose and provide irrigation water to the area by raising the head of the tunnels. He proposed that the altitudes of the tunnel at Terich valley should be increased which would not only shorten the length of the tunnel but also bring thousands of acres of arid land under cultivation. This would lead to economic prosperity in the area, he said.--Dawn
MPA, Nazim fight over name plaques
CHITRAL: The district nazim, Maghfirat Shah, and MPA Ghulam Mohammad have run into a row over installation of plaques of their names to inaugurate a road project in Mulkhow area of upper Chitral, according to residents.
They said that former MPA from Chitral-II constituency, Maulana Mohammad Jahangir had allocated funds for the blacktopping of one kilometer road in Muzhgole but the work started in August last when the assembly had already been dissolved. The locals said that the work was inaugurated by the district nazim Maghfirat Shah by unveiling plaque inscribed with his name at Muzhgole bridge.
They added that they were astonished to see that the local MPA Ghulam Mohammad of PML-Q inaugurated it for the second time and replaced the plaque of the district nazim with his name.
The residents regretted that the work on the road was still going on at snail’s pace due to delaying tactics by the contractor but neither the district nazim nor the MPA had taken notice of it.--Zahiruddin
They said that former MPA from Chitral-II constituency, Maulana Mohammad Jahangir had allocated funds for the blacktopping of one kilometer road in Muzhgole but the work started in August last when the assembly had already been dissolved. The locals said that the work was inaugurated by the district nazim Maghfirat Shah by unveiling plaque inscribed with his name at Muzhgole bridge.
They added that they were astonished to see that the local MPA Ghulam Mohammad of PML-Q inaugurated it for the second time and replaced the plaque of the district nazim with his name.
The residents regretted that the work on the road was still going on at snail’s pace due to delaying tactics by the contractor but neither the district nazim nor the MPA had taken notice of it.--Zahiruddin
Sports Complex for Ayun in Chitral announced
CHITRAL: Provincial Minister Salim Khan has announced to construct a sports complex at Ayun which will be named after slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto.
Addressing public gatherings at different places at Ayun, he said the provincial government has allocated Rs10 million for uplift projects in Kalash valleys. The minsiters claimed that all projects initiated by the present government had been completed in the district.
Meanwhile, the minister also announced an monthly scholarship of Rs200 for girl students of remote villages in Chitral.
He said a grant of Rs10 million had already been announced in this regard. He said the scholarship would be given only to students in VI to matric.--APP
Addressing public gatherings at different places at Ayun, he said the provincial government has allocated Rs10 million for uplift projects in Kalash valleys. The minsiters claimed that all projects initiated by the present government had been completed in the district.
Meanwhile, the minister also announced an monthly scholarship of Rs200 for girl students of remote villages in Chitral.
He said a grant of Rs10 million had already been announced in this regard. He said the scholarship would be given only to students in VI to matric.--APP
Boy drowns in Chitral village
CHITRAL: A schoolboy, Naushad Ali of Jughoor, drowned into the the Chitral river on Sunday.
The boy was fishing along the river when he slipped into the water. The body of the victim had not been retrieved till filing of this report.--CT Report
The boy was fishing along the river when he slipped into the water. The body of the victim had not been retrieved till filing of this report.--CT Report
Benazir football tournament begins in Ayun
CHITRAL: The first Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Memorial District Football Tournament has started at Ayun. Provincial Minister for Population Welfare Saleem Khan was chief guest on the occasion who kicked the ball to declare the event open.
Some 50 football teams are participating in the tournament which has been organized by Wajidan Welfare Society, Toryandeh, Ayun.
Talking to this scribe, Murtaza Ali, Chairman of the society, said the main objective of the tournament was to save the young generation from drug abuse.
The first match was played between Hon and Broz teams in which the latter won by three to one goalsl. The chief guest announced Rs1,0000 for the organizing committee.--GH Farooqui
Some 50 football teams are participating in the tournament which has been organized by Wajidan Welfare Society, Toryandeh, Ayun.
Talking to this scribe, Murtaza Ali, Chairman of the society, said the main objective of the tournament was to save the young generation from drug abuse.
The first match was played between Hon and Broz teams in which the latter won by three to one goalsl. The chief guest announced Rs1,0000 for the organizing committee.--GH Farooqui
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Awesome and rugged
Beauty of Chitral
Kishmanja, a beautiful village in Yarkhun valley
Lush green
DIZG: threatened by floods
The legendary village of Ayun in Chitral
On way to Bumburet
Dizg, Yarkhun
About Me
- Zar Alam Khan Razakhel
- Village Dizg, Yarkhun valley, Chitral, Pakistan
- I blog at http://chitraltoday.net (ChitralToday) about Chitral, its people, culture, traditions and issues. I have been writing about Chitral since 2000. Chitral is a scenic valley in the extreme north-west of Pakistan.