Dancing on A Razor’s Edge by Mandy Whyte

I happened to read ‘Dancing on A Razor’s Edge’, a book written by a New Zealander mother and a development expert. I intentionally mentioned her profession because that’s how we met and I came to know about Mandy’s book. Mandy Whyte came to Pakistan as the close out manager for the same project I was part of since 2018. When I came to know that Mandy is not only a development practitioner but also a writer, I became more interested to know about her work because I have this huge respect for books and authors. So in short, I had her book in my hands in a few days and I was engrossed in it. It was one of the few books that I finished before starting any other book (most of the times we leave a book in the middle to get our hands on another). I thought I should put down my thoughts on the book. 

Dancing on A Razor’s Edge is a story of how drug addicts suffer due to lack of support from the institutions, policies and society. Unfortunately, the medical, social and psychological problems associated with drug addiction are not looked upon holistically rather treated under criminal laws separately and circumstantially. This adds to the problems instead of helping resolve them. Mandy has highlighted this very succinctly and narrated real time experiences to open the eyes of policy makers, governments, NGOs and other stakeholders.

Mandy is a mother who sacrifices her everything to help her son get out of the hell created by meth use. The love of mother is proverbial and universal for her children. Mandy has once again proved this. She has gone much beyond her maternal role to save her son from the perils of death. She fights like a tigress against very hard obstacles, unsupportive system, judgmental society and an addict son.

The book narrates a story of a young man who used to be super active in sports and liked by most of the people around him but then is abandoned by many. The reader realizes how costly addiction can turn out to be for people. Addiction can ruin relationships, damage brain and make someone as athletic as Hemi, lethargic. The social, physical, mental and spiritual cost of addiction is too high to be borne. It is very important that the young people who are into drugs should know the ‘limit’ to it. It is a slippery slope and there’s a very thin line between regular use and addiction.

Dancing on A Razor’s Edge is a wonderful self-help book and success story too. It talks about patience, love, planning, strategies and achievements. It emphasizes on not giving up and standing up to challenges. The story of Mandy shows that one can alter the course of life (of another fellow being) through consistent support, unconditional love and unwavering patience. Besides all other reasons mentioned above this is why I think everyone should read this book whether they are dealing with an addict friend, family member or not. This is a book that restores your faith in humanity, family relationships and the love of mother being higher than the skies, taller than the mountains and deeper than the oceans. 

I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I have requested Mandy to look for ways to make this available in the bookstores in Pakistan (and at comparatively lower price) as currently it is available from The Cuba Press on request at New Zealand bookstores only. 

Finally, thanks to Mandy for writing such a great book and giving me the opportunity to read it.

NBP, Main Branch Chitral Town: A case of sheer negligence!

A couple of days ago I read an article on Chitral Times by one of my teachers and famous scholar Dr. Inayat Ullah Faizi on the problems pertaining to the NBP Chitral main branch and that made me think. (The article can be accessed here https://chitraltimes.com/2019/09/19/26254/ ). That takes me back to the time when I was a student in Qutaiba Public School Chitral and later on Govt. Degree College Chitral (2005-2008). The national bank Pakistan, Chitral building used to be near the Atalaik Bridge, prominently standing facing the main road. It used to have a parking area outside and quite spacious inside. Although it was also not the best in terms of its space and facilities but was very fine. Later on by-pass road Chitral was built and this building was demolished and shifted to a nearby roof. I call it a roof because it is literally a roof of some shops which was turned into a barrack for NBP. During the time when by-pass road was being constructed competitors to the NBP started building their offices on more accessible and better locations such as Bank Alfalah on DC House Road, BoK on Ataliq bridge road, Habib Metro on by-pass road, Bank Islami near BoK, HBL on Commerce College road. But NBP main branch remained there in the barrack since then. Customers including the aged pensioners, women and men enter a dark stair to go to the roof. Upon conquering the dark stairs there’s another small door. The verandah is too small and people have to clung to the windows and each other to reach to the officers. This bank also caters the government salaried individuals of both district upper and lower Chitral besides pensioners and general account holders. Inside the bank there’s no organization due to lack of space, work load and number of customers to deal with. The manager has a small room where sometimes generously the manager makes space available for women customers who can’t bear the traffic of men in the verandah. These issues of space, organization, accessibility and working environment should also be affecting the employees mental and physical health. I don’t know why the staff don’t protest. May be they think that a Govt sector is too stagnant to bring a change.

NBP is the oldest and biggest bank in the country. NBP Chitral main branch can easily be shifted to a better place or new building and NBP can cover the expenses of shifting or new building in two years easily. Being the oldest and biggest branch in Chitral and having an anchor position for the branches around it, this branch won’t be facing any investment issue. However, I don’t know why the Govt. is not taking interest providing quality environment to the people and its staff members. Any official visiting Chitral can go to the private banks I mentioned above and see the difference. In this era of technology and advancement, NBP main branch represents grain store (Godam) where some chairs and tables are put together with computers on it and call it a bank. There is no ATM at the bank. The stairs are dark and not human friendly. There’s no parking area. Below the building there is ‘ada’ for kalash valleys, down country and hardware stores. One of the reasons young generation like us work for private companies is the working environment which makes you feel better the morning you step into the office. One of the reasons customers find other banks efficient is the reason that due to the environment (building, facilities, organization) customers get quality service. 

The main branch building has become a laughing stock for the people who go there. We are proud of the name, 'national' and we want to see it as a representation of our nation. It actually represents our nation being the biggest nationalized bank and also representing the State Bank of Pakistan. So may it represent better, please. 

NBP Chitral : Photo by GHF . You can see the roof above the shops with NBP sign board. That's the building and these are the customers.

”مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ“

دیکھو یہ میرے شہر میں مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ
دفنا کے آ رہے ہیں مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ

ہو سندھ کی نمرتا ، پنجاب کی ہو زینب
چُھپا کے آ رہے ہیں مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ

شراب کی بوتل میں شھد کا یہ ثبوت
”خود کھا کےآ رہے ہیں “مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ

صدیاں گزر جاتی ہیں انصاف نہیں ہوتا
پیشی پہ آ رہے ہیں مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ

کل رات جو سویا تو خواب میں یہ میرے

مجھ کو بتا رہے تھے مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ

کہ زندہ ہیں چند لوگ خاموش قبرستان میں
اور مہر بہ لب صِرف مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ

عطا جو کہہ رہا ہے اور دِل سے کہہ رہا ہے

کبھی نہیں مانیں گے مرے ہوۓ کچھ لوگ

عطإالرحمان ، گلبرگ لاہور
٢٠ ستمبر ٢٠١٩

How building a high-end hotel will help promote tourism, create employment and economic development in District Chitral of Pakistan?

As a student of tourism and economic development I would try my best to explain the topic in layman terms in the context of district Chitral. District Chitral needs no introduction with its unique culture, picturesque valleys, famous treks, lakes, festivals, glaciers, forts, and peace. Nature has a lot to offer to the people who travel to this district on tours and vacations. However, a tourist doesn’t only look for what provides the reasons to travel (demand side) but also for services (the supply side) that are required to make his travel and stay comfortable in the area. For example, besides its natural beauty, forts and peace, one of the reasons tourists throng to Hunza is the KKH. Similarly, the quality hotels available there make the tourists stay comfortable, safe and secure. For the last 3 years tourists inflow in Chitral has increased by many times. However, a particular tourist segment is still not able to travel to Chitral due to lack of facilities and quality services. This segment includes the upper class and upper-upper class, and foreigners. The reason being the non-availability of regular flights, poor road conditions and lack of quality accommodation services. The flights usually happen to be two days a week and could be managed thus avoiding the long travel on the road but the lack of quality hotels can’t be worked out overnight. The few quality hotels are booked in long advance and have very limited capacity. On a conservative estimate the top 4 hotels in Chitral town can accommodate about 350 people at maximum. According to sources, Mehtar-e-Chitral and family were once requested by a ‘Culture Trust’ to let them renovate the Chitral Fort on the footings of Altit Fort and Shigar Fort and develop into a liveable place of highest standards which was declined by the family. The gap still exists for such a high standard hotel that can provide quality services for the tourists. But the question arises; How is a four-five star hotel important for Chitral? Below are few of the reasons that I can think of now;

Branding of Chitral: The foreign tourists in particular and the elite domestic tourist in particular ask, “Is there PC in Chitral? Marriott or Serena ?”. Saying yes adds value to the product you are offering, the services you are mentioning and the region you are luring tourists to. This helps in positive branding of the region and is one of the indicators of stability, peace, and development of the region. If a multinational company invests in a region that shows that there is something worth visiting in the region. Many foreigners don’t get NOC only on the basis that there are not enough secure places to stay in far-flung regions.

Employment Creation for locals: When you go to a hotel in Quetta, Swat, Multan, Gilgit, etc you will see that most of the people working in those hotels are the local people. It makes economic sense for the companies to hire local people because of cost-effectiveness, low turn over rates and sense of ownership. It is a win-win both for the company as well as the local people. A five-star hotel on an average hires more than 100 permanent staff. According to the standards of five-star hotels by World Tourist Organization (WTO), a 5-star hotel has to hire at least 20 staff for 10 rooms, which means if the hotel builds 50 rooms then that must hire 100 people for maintaining the quality of services.

Associated small businesses: When hotels are built local services and products are needed including vegetables from local farms, fresh meat from the local market, vehicles for transports of goods, cars for dropping and picking guests, laundry services, tour guides, local arts & crafts, and you name it. Some might argue that a five-star hotel has its own laundry or pick and drop. Yes, but not all guests avail those services inside the same hotel. Secondly, a hotel doesn’t have the expertise or time to grow its own vegetables, fruits, honey, and dairy farms. These are some of the local businesses that flourish alongside the hotel industry.

Transferable and Marketable Skills Development for locals: If you are trained in a hotel and gain skills in front office management, sales, cooking, public relations, food & beverages management, housekeeping, etc you are skilled enough to work in thousands of hotels in the industry. Your skills are required by many in the industry and you are always open to other opportunities in other hotels. There are fewer chances of you remaining jobless.

Thriving social life, events, and entertainment: Hotels also provide space, services and the right environment for social activities such as family gatherings, meetings, conferences, workshops, and local exhibitions. Imagine such things happening in Chitral in much-organized manner and attracting researchers, academicians, companies, and locals to interact with a diverse group of people.

The list is long and you can add more to it but those are the few key areas that are positively affected by such kinds of investments in a region. There are few negative impacts of development of tourism in a region too but four-five star hotels are bound to follow international rules and regulation which protect the local environment. For example, the sewerage and drainage system of the hotel needs not to affect the local environment. The waste is properly managed etc. However, due to increasing pressure from local communities on such matters and local media, international brands such as Marriott, Serena, Park Hyatt, Avari, etc are well aware of the consequences and most of the time comply. And if they don’t they are too vulnerable in terms of their reputation.

I personally think that this is high time that a hotel of such standards should start seriously considering the worthwhile investment. A particular segment of the tourists is reluctant to visit Chitral based on the lack of quality services and hotels. This will benefit the company as well as play a key role in the economic development of the region. For a multinational chain to build hotel in a far-flung region such as Chitral is not very lucrative business most of the times given the seasonality of tourists and lack of supportive infrastructure, however companies with greater vision usually see the multiple benefits that they can provide both to its shareholders and the local communities. 

Marriott Islamabad

Serena Gilgit

Not a Five Star but a lovely Shangrilla Hotel Skardu

University of Chitral; How to set an example?

The University of Chitral was one of the top-priority demands of the inhabitants of this landlocked district. Better late than never, we have it now. A building, although smaller for the time being, has opened its gates to the student community of Chitral. What's more important now is a vibrant full-fledged campus along with competent human resource and adequate funds. Here it is important to ask why?

Full-fledged vibrant campus:

For any university to be functional and start its operations a regular campus is the first thing to be there. A campus is not just a building. It has to be lively and vibrant. The students, teachers and all other staff should seem to have an air of pride and excellence. For this purpose the VC or PD has to induce the vision of the university into the minds of every student, lecturer and staff (from peon to VC himself) very clearly. Where the University wants to stand 10-20 years ahead? The answer to this questions should be the same and communicated across the board. To make it vibrant, the campus should have regular classes, occasional events, national level contents, conferences and research publications. Students should be encouraged to speak up their mind and come up with innovative curricular and co-curricular ideas. Along with all this, any action which damages the vision of the university should be strictly discouraged. The campus air should not be filled with political slogans and political activities on campus.  Vibrant doesn't means students should start throwing stones on the window panes of the classes. And this will not happen, if from the very first day the leader starts communicating the vision and proving it with his own integrity and adherence to the vision. From Day One, the team should start branding the campus in accordance with the vision.

Competent Human Resource:

To achieve any goal and materialize any vision or dream, the importance of a competent team is utmost. However, we should not measure competence by high marks or good grades only. By competent here I mean that the team members (academia, administrative, support staff) should be skilful as well as characterful. As the integrity equation equals competence + character. The team should know the importance of their role as thousands of youth is there to learn and lead the nation. If the vision is to be the best university of Pakistan, you have to hire the best teachers, the best office assistant, the best accountant and even the best driver. If your vision is to be the best research university in Pakistan, you have to hire the best statistician, the best epistemologist, develop the best R&D section etc. In short, your actions should translate to your vision. Your small actions should represent the bigger vision. The way you walk on the campus, as a student, lecturer or PD, should tell the people looking at you that you are walking the talk. You are adding your each step to the vision you look up to. With competent human resource you can make a far greater progress towards your vision than a lousy one. A group of competent academicians produce competent youth. A group of professional administrative staff produce quick and desired results. A group of competent students add to a prosperous nation.   

At times, as a visionary team, you might have to stand up for your vision and only a competent team can do that. Saying no to nepotism, political pressure, and students' politics would be important if that threatens your vision.

Adequate Funds:

For a vibrant campus and recruit competent HR, the university should have enough funds. Funds should be readily made available by the Govt and HEC. The leader and the team should know the amount of funds required at a particular time. A budget flow timeline should be on the figure tips of the accounts and finance section. In case of inadequate funds from the Govt, the team should know about the availability of other avenues of funding including international. The vision and competent team can be a good reason to seek funds from donor agencies. Funds can also be generated through the campus resources such as events, publications, students' start-ups etc. With adequate funds, necessary infrastructure can be built, advanced technology purchased and scholarship schemes introduced. To keep the funds available, the university should not be engaged in extravagant activities which have less impact or no value addition to the vision of the university.

There are many other factors which should be taken care of if University of Chitral has to be made an example of greatness. However, the above three are the very fundamentals the university team should stick to. Every Chitrali has attached high hopes with UoC and we hope to see it among the top universities of Pakistan very soon.

PK 661 Plane Crash – In the Memory of 47 Souls And Questions that remain Unanswered !

December 7, 2016

Scene 1:

It is a cold day in Chitral. Calm and cloudy.

A Daughter: "Mom, I can hear the plane. I guess it has landed at Chitral airport.

Mother (who is already on the roof of her house): "Yes darling. Your father will soon be leaving for Islamabad. He insisted that I should go with him too. But I thought you would be alone at home."

Daughter: "Thank you, Mama!" (Both hug each other and wait for the plane to take off).

At the airport:

PK 661 Chitral – ISB 

Flight Status:  Boarding

(After 20 minutes the foker is on the runaway, gathers speed and takes off).

Passenger 22A: "Our rooms have been booked at the hotel, right?"

Passenger 22B:  "Yes. A car will also pick us from Islamabad airport".

Passenger 21B: "This time we should stay longer in Islamabad. It's very cold here, sir''.

(The three companions laugh and the air hostess brings snacks for refreshment).

Suddenly something happens to the plane. The passengers could feel the turbulence. The plane shakes badly. Some hold on to the seats some to each other. It was like the earthquake of 2015 that shook Chitral from Drosh to Laspur. But the earthquake was for a shorter period. The plane took longer. It lingered over Havellian for a while. Then the passengers could see a sharp fall.

(A long pause ……….)

PK 661 Plane Crash site

Scene 2:  

Mother: "Your father would have landed by now, darling. Let's go downstairs and cook something for supper."

(In the kitchen, the daughter turns on the TV while her mother plans what to cook). Phone rings.

Daughter (receives a call from her cousin): "Hello bro. How are u?"

Cousin: "I’m good. Is uncle at home?"

Daughter: "Father has gone to Islamabad. Today."

Pause…….. .. "OK Jan. Talk to you later." Phone disconnects.

(Headlines on TV Screen… PK 661 carshed over Havellian)

Daughter turns pale, numb and dumb. TV remote control falls from her. She can't speak to her mom. Her throat dries up to her tongue.

(After 1 and half months)

Scene 3:

During the past 53 days Chairman PIA resigns. The families who lost their loved ones go through a very tragic state of life where they had to wait for more than a week to receive the dead bodies. Burials takes places at various villages in Chitral. The only survivor in a family who lost 6 family members goes through a trauma and can be seen in a hospital in Karachi. The rest of families still tearing their hearts apart in the love of their beloved who left them so early. The tears in the eyes of the mothers, sisters, brothers and fathers of the 47 souls don’t' seem to stop. Nothing seems to pacify them.

Now that they have accepted this unfortunate incident, the only thing that they want to understand is, 'how this happened?''. The only thing they now want to know is the reason behind the plane crash. Black box report has been complied. Nothing came out of it. According to the report the plane was in 'perfect' condition. Both engines were working very fine. So this tragic event would not be deeply investigated again. The value of human life is not-so-important topic in this part of the world. The Govt. is not very 'interested' in such cases.

Relatives of deceased and civil society demand transparent inquiry of the incident

( The sons and daughters of the deceased lament over the post plane crash investigation whenever they see each other. )

"Oh how naïve we are! Did we forget that while the dead bodies were lying in the cold storage of PIMS, neither our Prime Minister nor our well known politicians came over to show a shred of solidarity with the bereaved families? How come we expect that the case will be transparently investigated, reported and shared with the public so that in future such mishaps don't happen? Human life is not so valuable in Pakistan. So let the people of this country die. Let the tourists who planned to go to Chitral in 2017 change their plans. Let the people of Chitral accept that flying with PIA is a suicide attempt and there is no solution for suicides in Pakistan."

But this was not a suicide. It was a murder. Who cares? At least, not our Government.

            ( To be continued..... )

Lawari Tunnel, Chitrali Passengers and Solution

On Friday January 20th, we reached Upper Dir Aljareeza Hotel at 12:30 pm. Our plan was to arrive at tunnel by 2 pm and get through. But our vehicles were lined up at Dir and at 8:30 pm the convoy coming from Chitral ended and we reached tunnel (Dir side) at 9:30 pm. It was commendable that AC Dir and his staff were present at Dir dealing issues and dozens of police jawans were also on the roads at various points to troubleshoot problems which were mostly created by trucks carrying tons of goods. However at tunnel we had to wait for 3 more hours and at 1:00 AM we crossed lawari tunnel and reached Ziarat. Again jawans of Chitral scouts, police or army were seen directing the vehicles. Trucks kept creating problems for local passengers by not moving ahead and being stuck at several places. From Ziarat to Baradam it took 2.5 hours creeping. In almost 24 hours we reached Ziarat Chitral from Islamabad.

District Administrations on both sides are doing a good job but I think given the huge traffic through tunnel it's simply not possible to manage the transportation in a 2 days per week schedule by Chitral and Dir administration. It simply is not possible. We have hundreds of passenger vehicles and trucks with goods on these two days. The roads are frozen with snow. Two vehicles cannot overtake or give way. So how can all vehicles moving at 15km/hr reach their destination at right times ? If only one truck is stuck on the road all the 330 vehicles have to wait till it is moved. 

Therefore we would request Govt to :
- Stop work in tunnel at least in winters so that on average 50 vehicles per day travel from each side.
- Saturday and Sunday be allotted to goods transporters ( trucks, mazda etc) only. Rest of the days they should not be allowed to travel.
- A medical camp should be available at tunnel project site for local passengers esp older ppl, children & women.

Right now, it's 3:00 AM and we are stuck near Baradam Ziarat. As I said, even if Hercules comes to rescue us this 2days/week schedule won't work.

Studying in Tents: The students of Booni and Muzhgole

Studying in air conditioned study rooms is a luxury. Studying in average setting such as a good room is one to be thankful for. However, studying while living in tents in the scorching heat of August is definitely a tough job.                                                                                                                                

This weekend I had the opportunity to meet some students of Booni who left their houses due to land sliding after the earthquake and settled in Qaqlasht, a dry plateau on Mastuj road.I also went to see some students of Muzhgole who are living in tents on the other side of Qaqlasht and going to far flung schools from these tents as the last year floods had washed away their houses.Meeting the students I realized how hard it is to live in a tent in this hot summer and study.The purpose of this visit was to share the message of Sofia and her fellow Pakistani students, who study in Berea College.                                                                                                

Sofia Naz, a Chitrali student from Berea College, Kentucky USA led the campaign with her fellow Pakistani students at her college to share the worries of the affected students of Chitral. According to Sofia Naz,” Our team wanted to tell the kids that no matter what education is a must and never ever to give up to hardship that will come in life". They organized a bake sale on campus and sold the baked goods to raise the money. They also had help from many of their friends. Some were American friends and some are international students.  Sofia then sent some little fund to her friends in Chitral who last week reached out to the flood and earth quake affected students of Booni and Muzgole who are now living in tents in Qaqlasht plateau. The gifts that were given to the students included School bags, Math Box, Color pencil sets, pen, pencils, erasers and rulers of very good quality. 

Students after receiving school gifts 

The friends also reached out to Allama Iqbal Model School Muzhgole and the principal of that school shared an official list of 15 homeless students who are also given some support using this fund. Few students who faced paying tuition fees also benefited from this help.  A total of 30 students benefitted from this little fund shared by Sofia and her team.

With the brave students in Qaqlasht

With teachers and students of AIMS Muzhgole. School in the background

Last year a series of devastating calamities hit the Northern District, Chitral of Pakistan where thousands of houses were damaged, tens of bridges collapsed and schools washed away. These calamities included flash floods and earthquake. Although it has been a year, yet a lot needs    to be done to rehabilitate the calamity hit people of the area.                                                                                                                                                                       

Shimshal.... A scenic valley of brave people !

Going to different places and meeting new faces always fascinates me. This time I had the opportunity to go to Shimshal village which is the highest place of Hunza valley (3100 meters above sea level). I was very excited to hit the KKH. I left Gilgit at 8 am in the morning. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday (Jan 16). I had been to Hunza in 2014 so I kept moving forward to Passu. Before reaching Passu I stopped at Attabad Lake. The white snow around the crystal blue lake gave a mesmerizing view.  

AttaAbad Lake, In winters

The Pakistan China Friendship Tunnels have been very beautifully built. However there are two police check posts within a 7 KM distance which I didn’t like. I think one is enough for security purposes. Throughout my travels I have seen these people asking only two three very simple questions which don’t seem to be so ‘revealing’. Anyways, the ships that used to carry people and luggage during the Attabad lake formation when the roads were destroyed by the flood are now lying frozen in the lake. They are waiting for the summers where hundreds of tourists will come to Hunza and they will be alive again their beautiful blue universe. After 3 hours drive, we reached Passu. The driver Uncle (Mir Baaz) dropped me at Passu. Today some notable had died at Passu. So many people were going to offer their condolences. I asked a villager who told me that “Ali Aman’ a social activist has passed away. At Attabad lake I was thinking how names are so familiar Atta and Attabad lake. At Passu there was another coincidence. The man who had passed away had the same name as my late father. Ali Aman. The whole day I kept missing my lovely father and thinking about ‘names’. Names become your identity. When someone takes the name of a person or a place all of a sudden the whole images, stories and experiences flash in your mind. 

The most exciting journey begins now. My friend, Amjad, from Shimshal had told me that from Passu you can hire a jeep. The driver Nazir was not willing to charge below Rs.6,000. “We usually charge up to 8,000 but since you took my name I’m  will charge you in 6,000. Not a penny less than that.” Says Nazir. I did take his name. Amjad had told me that a there are two jeeps in Passu. One red jeep is of Nazir. We struck the deal at 6,000. But Nazir had not enough fuel and there was no fuel station. Actually there was one fuel station which had no fuel :D So, Nazir called his friend and we went to his house and pumped out some diesel from his jeep and hit the bumpy road to Shimshal. It was cold. But there was no snow on the road. A friend of mine had told me that there’s snow on the road and you change vehicles at Passu. Nazir plays Indian songs. “Sorry Nazir, Can you please play some local songs. Songs in local dialects?” I insist. The music of Giglit region so much resonates with the music of our part, Chitral. A Chitrali can also dance without much difficulty to the music of this region. 

It’s approximately 47-55 KMs from Passu to Shimshal valley. On the way to shimshal you have to travel along a deep ravine in a narrow road. The road is fine but prone to land sliding and rocks falling. At a time only one vehicle can move safely. If there’s another one coming from the other side then the driver has to take long back in reverse gear to let the other pass. There are 10 bridges you have to cross on the way to Shimshal. The total bridges are 13 but one is used only in summers and the other two are now no more in use due to road diversion. This road to Shimshal was constructed (2 times) by AKRSP  with the help of local people and government also had invested in the road (once).  The local people say that they used to cross the river or nala 12 times when there was no road and no bridges. And it took a one day trekking to reach Passu from Shimshal. Things have changed and now it takes 2.5 - 3 hours to reach Shimshal from Passu. 

On the way to Shimshal

Near Shimshal, the gigantic Malangudi glacier (Malangutti ) is very close to the road. It takes a 15-30 minutes trekking to reach the glacier base from the road. From the village it takes 1 hour.  Trekking over a glacier could be very dangerous particularly when you don’t have proper shoes and prior training. If you slip and fall into the crevices you are in a huge trouble than. Anyways, Malangutti glacier is so beautiful. 

  

At Malangutti Glacier

I met Mirza Ali Baig, the famous mountain climber of Pakistan who belongs to Shimshal. His sister Samina Baig is the first ever Pakistani woman (girl) to summit the Everest. Mirza was with Samina during the expedition till camp 3 or 4 I guess and then samina went ahead and waved Pakistan’s flag at the summit. At Shimshal I stayed with Mirza and another guest Florin from Romania was also there. Florin runs an adventure school in Romania and is one of the best ice climbers. Link to his adventure school http://www.extremromania.ro

Talking of Mirza family, the whole family is so adventurous. From Yousuf Uncle to Samina to little Zarar all are born adventurers. The story of Samina Baig is the most inspiring one. A young girl of 22 who for the first time in Pakistan’s history summits the Everest as a woman is a big achievement. If you listen to her story of hard work and courage I’m sure you will involuntarily stand up and salute her courage and dedication. (Alas! Pakistan has never much respected national heroes). The Mirza Family is doing wonderful job for tourism development in particular and socio-economic development of Shimshal in general. 

Mirza Ali Baig's Uncles 

Next day we did some skiing together. There was enough snow in Shimshal village for that purpose.  It is a lovely village. And I think you should know few things about the village.

·        

      *First and Foremost, it’s the last village of Gilgit region after road diversion from Passu.

·        * Altitude 3100 meters

·         **The First Ever woman from Pakistan to reach the Everest Summit hails from Shimshal.Samina Baig

·         *There are village guest houses for tourists so if you go there you will easily find a place to stay.

·        * There are 13 suspension bridges across the valley.

·        * You can easily find skillful porters and tour guides in this village with fluent English.

Shimshal village 

There are also few things missing in the area. According to the locals, they don’t have a well-established drinking water supply system. The drinking water supply scheme initiated by an NGO has failed due to some reasons. I think the major reason is the precipitation of calcium (carbonate) as the locals say that the water in the glass gathers a kind of white powder. Although they treat it at household level and make it OK for drinking but that’s not a long term solution. The source needs to be changed or a big filtration plant will be needed. Government or some NGO needs to do it soon. Secondly, there is no electricity. The inhabitants have solar panels and some have generators but there’s no power station. A new power station of some 2 MW is expected to be built by Govt soon.  There’s one other thing missing in the valley but I don’t think that’s a BIG issue. For people who live in the cities and need some peace of mind, the missing thing is a blessing J Yes, there are no telephone networks or cellular networks. Once you enter Shimshal you are open to the nature and fresh air. Put your cell phones off and save your battery. Recharge your mind with peace and tranquility. J

One thing I noticed in Shimshal is that I didn’t see anybody smoking. I kept observing but I didn’t see a single human being smoking cigarette. Was it a smoke free zone? I don’t know. I didn’t ask but that was such a wonderful thing to observe.

I left Shimshal with beautiful memories.  Looking out over Hunza, from the window of Hill Top View Hotel, I think of the next travel.  I think I should travel through Kohistan instead of taking a plane to the capital. That way I would be able to visit more new places and know the landscape. I think I should read “Atlas Shrugged” during the travel. 

We made it to the Majestic Qurumbar Lake !

I had never been to such a beautiful, clean and majestic lake. Qurumbar lake (also spelled as Karumbar, situated in the north of District Chitral) is the 2^nd highest lake in Pakistan and stands 31^st among world lakes. It is situated in the north east of Boroghol (Boroghil) near Wakhan border and Ishkoman (Gilgit). It was September 18^th. We, a team of three friends (Amjad, Hameed and Atta) started at 8:30 am from our base camp at Ishkarwaz Boroghol Chitral.

From L to R: Hameed, Amjad, Atta

We rode horses all the way long. Our first stop was at Lashkargaz where we had a break and rest of some 30 minutes. It took about 3 hours ride from base camp (Ishkarwaz) to Lashkargaz. The best thing is to set a second camp at Lashkargaz and have some good rest. But we had time constraint and also the weather was very unpredictable. So, we kept our journey going.

On the way to Lashkargaaz, Boroghol

After a long & tiring yet curious trekking and horse riding we reached at Qurumbar lake. It took us Four and Half hours to reach Qurumbar Lake from Lashkargaz. Usually, it is advised that you should set another camp somewhere on the way (or at Ghari, the pasture land) but we were too curious to wait for that. We were all eager to see what’s ahead. On first sight we thought we have arrived at the target but we found out by a closer look that this lake is too small to be Qurumbar Lake. So we kept going and after another half mile we saw a dark blue, magnificent and clean lake. This had to be the lake of our search. So here we were! All the tiredness, the pain and the efforts seemed to vanish when we reached the lake. Amajd was our team leader and he enjoyed it to the fullest. We all went along well. 

At Qurumbar Lake. Tired, Sunburned But Happy :)

Qurumbar Lake is 14,121 feet above sea level (4321 meters). You can’t see the end point of the lake by standing on one side. Informants say that it is 3.9 KMs long and some 2.5 KMs wide with a depth of 52 meters at the center. The water is fresh and clean. Yaks of the inhabitants of Boroghol are found grazing nearby the lake. 

Yaks left for grazing near Qurumbar Lake

The only human caused pollution we found were few old tin cans (of some cold drinks perhaps) left over by travelers. It seemed so that very few trekkers/travelers have been to that place. Those who have reached there have not camped there for stay and moved back or ahead to Ishkoman Gilgit. Ishkoman is on a 2 days trek from here as said the locals. 

We were very tired. After having some bread with butter we rode back and it was getting darker. We couldn’t reach Lashkargaz (camp 2) so we stayed the night in the pasture land (Ghari). By 8:30 pm it was very dark and our horses were very tired. A family was kind enough to accommodate us. They made us tea and Sanabachi (a local food made of wheat floor and animal fat). After having some pain killers we went to sleep and early in the morning we were awaken by the Baa of goats. Something different from cell phone alarms was good for ears I suppose. J

The next day we reached base camp and had some good rest. But when we got up early in the morning, September 20th, it was snowing so we hurried to our vehicles and rushed to lower Chitral.

Just when the snow fall started, did i dismantle my tent

This trip was full of fun, learning, exploration and curiosity. We were about to give up but the unexplored wilderness ahead of us kept us going and we finally made it to the lake.

Taking the opportunity I would like to put forward some suggestions for people who want to go to Qurumbar lake.

·         The best months to trek to Qurumbar Lake would be June, July and August.

·         Don’t hurry and on the way to the lake set at least 3 camps (at Ishkarwaz, Lashkargaaz and Lake) to fully enjoy the adventure.

·         Leave only foot prints behind. J

(For more on Boroghil, scroll down my previous posts of 2014).

Chitral Floods 2015- The Tale of Phargram Mulkhow

A beautiful village of UC Mulkow at a height of about 8,000 feet from sea level called Phargram comprises of 37 households. There is no other village above Phargram however adjacent to it, Uthool lies on its north east and Nogram on its south.  The village is full of the best poplar trees of Chitral, walnut and apricots.

 It was 22^nd of July 2015. Probably, evening time or dusk. The inhabitants of Phargram Uthool Mulkow were busy and closing the day. The clouds were hovering above the Hindukush ranges connected to the the valley on its north. For the last two-three days, there were news of floods in different valleys of Chitral such as Kuragh, Reshun , Broze etc. These villages had fast flowing streams (Gol) and glacier melt was predictable. However, Phargram had no such Gol and glacier to alert the inhabitants. All of a sudden there was thunder and a quick downpour. The women of Phargram started shoving their cattle into their cattle houses (Shal). The Children of the village started giggling, dancing and running to their houses to avoid getting wet. The men of the village were worried about the wheat fields which were ready to harvest. Some, who had harvested, started collecting the bales. But the rain was too fast. So, they tried to hide in their houses. The typical Chitrali houses made up of mud-bricks and roofs with wooden pillars. Some economically stable families had also tin sheets on their roof and the heavy rain was rattling making the tin sheets sound like drums. Sudden and fast rain settles down soon. That’s what they say in the mountains. So, the people of Phargram waited under their roof. But this time it was not just the rain. All of a sudden the rain brought stones and mud washed away from the top of the mountains and barren areas above fields. There was a thrashing sound of falling trees and a roar of fast muddy water entering the houses like snakes.  The villagers having close neighborhood started shouting and running. But there was flood in three different ravines. Those whose houses were first hit were dumbed under the roof and mud bricks including a family of seven. An orphan young man ran away and the gushing water hit his house like a rocket making hole in the roof and washing away all that he had in the small houses. More than 10,000 trees were washed away which are a source of income generation and fuel wood for the people. Many fields were washed away which were the only products of subsistence farming the inhabitants were engaged in. All the irrigation channels were washed away. Alongside this sudden catastrophe it was getting darker and darker. All people ran in fear and worry and by dark he who was alive thought the other was dead.  Some of the villagers managed to gather at an open space. The rain stopped but the cries of the children didn’t. The night was spent under the open sky. The open sky,being the only witness of this tragedy. No one slept that night.

The next dawn was not a usual dawn. What the eyes were able to see the minds were not able to comprehend. The beautiful village was washed away. More than 10 houses were completely washed away. Eight people died. Assets were lost. Fields were no more fields.  It was no more the same place. I visited the place after ten days of flood and I couldn’t recognize the houses. The people are still waiting for relief packages from God because now God is their only hope as the only helicopter that landed there after flood brought only few medicines and was gone. However, the helipad is still there with an “H’’. I for a moment thought, H stands for Hope, not for Helipad.

Eleven Reasons to visit Gobore, Garamchashma Valley Chitral !

In this high paced era one definitely wants to take some time and be close to nature and peace. Gobore, in the north west of Pakistan KPK is one of such places to visit. Gobore is situated at a distance of 78 KMs from town Chitral and 30 KMs for Garamchashma town. “Yadghaa” and “Sheikhanwar” are the two dialects spoken in Gobore. Khowar, Chitrali dialect is also spoken fluently by the inhabitants. The first inhabitants of Gobore Shah Saleem have been known to migrate from Nooristan Afghanistan. Many generations have passed since then. The road is jeep-able and has served as a major trade route between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the recent past.

Although everyone has one’s own reasons to travel and explore nature here are few reasons which I think are appealing enough to be considered by tourists, travelers and explorers. 

    1. Beautiful Long Drive

    On the way to Gobore you can find a lot of attractions such as: Ibex view point at Shahr-e-Sham where you can see number of ibex along the river bank.  You can take photographs of these beautiful creatures that dwell on the mountains of Hindukush.  Secondly, beautiful streams and rivers alongside the long drive make it an exciting journey.

On the way to Gobore Bakh

    

   2. Hot Springs

After about 2 hours drive from Chitral Town you reach Garamchashma Town. Here you can find Hot Springs (natural spring with Sulpher). These hot springs are a major tourist attraction and famous for skin related allergies/diseases. You can take a bath in the “Hamams” built near the hot springs.  As you travel ahead and reach Shah Saleem Gobore, you will find more hot springs.

Hot Spring At Shah Saleem Gobore

Hot Spring Bath, Garamchashma . One bath could be charged Rs.20 only

  3. Trout Fishing

There is abundance of trout in Garamchashma and Gobre. You can enjoy fishing. However, you might need a fishing license from Fisheries Department. It’s not that expensive. Besides trout you can also find other fish in the streaming river.

Fried fish

4.  Wild Animals and Birds

Here you can find ibex, deer, leopard, marmot, Ram Chakoor, Chakoor and migratory birds. (Sorry I could not go after them with camera due to time shortage.) 

5. Glaciers View

A number of glaciers can be seen in different places throughout the valley. These include Awsek Glacier ( 5 hours trek from Gobore Bakh), Mach Glacier (at Mach Pass), Irjeak Gol Glacier (near Irjeak) and others.

    6. Traditional Food

In the valley, some of the most delicious local food is served at homes. These include cheerashapik, Jush, Shoshpalaki, Rishiki and phenak. Majority of the food consists of dairy products and desi ghee (Rich oil) with wheat flour. 

Local Food. Yummmm

    7. Traditional Games

People in the area play Buz Kashi, Pagah (free style horse race without saddle), Mountain race and donkey polo. Most of the games are played during Gobore festival. This year Gobore Fetival 2016 is expected by the end of July.

    8.  Shrines of Saints

In Garamchashma valley, there are shrines of few famous saints as well. The shrines are called “ziarat” in khowar as well as urdu language. The tomb of spiritual leader and Poet Peer Nasir Khisrow is located in the center of Garamchashma town. Besides, shrines of contemporary saints of Peer Nasir Khisrow are also located at two other places, one of them in Zhutur gol and the other in Moshain near Pull-e-Kabul.

A saint's shrine on the way to Gobore. Some claim it's a Prophet's shrine.

  9.Passes and Treks 

 a.  Dorah Pass

From Shah Saleem Village Gobore one can follow Dorah Pass and reach Afghanistan. It’s an 8 hours trek from Shah Saleem. The trek is not that hard but you would need a visa if you want to enter Afghanistan at Singlich. In the photo below Dorah Pass trek can easily be seen at the back. 

Dorah Pass at my back . Trek is visible

b.       Mach Pass

Similarly, Mach Pass is also a very good trek from Gobore Bakh to Singlich Afghanistan. However, it will take 10 hours. Mach Pass also leads to Arakari Oveer if you take the trek to Akram Gol.

a.       Nogoreshal Trek through Zidik Gol

In 6-7 hours you can trek into Nooristan Aghanistan using this trek.

   10.  Beautiful Lakes

Top Khana Lake ( 6 hours trek from Gobore), Chapdarah Lake (7 hours trek from Gobore), Unni lake, Khogia Lake are of medium and small size lakes that are found along the treks.

  
    11. Natural Beauty

Throughout your stay you will find mesmerizing beauty of nature in the form of clean water, water falls, streams, lush green grasslands and peaceful atmosphere.

On the way to Gobore.

At Shah Saleem, Gobore.

The Peaceful and hardworking Mountain Man !