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Deh ba Deh: Balim, the boat village

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:18:26 +0000

By Dr Inayatullah Faizi

Village in focus: Balim
Location: Laspur valley
Distance from Chitral town: 115 kilometres
Number of households: 280
Population: 3,000 (estimated)
Literacy rate: over 80 per cent

Dr Inayatullah Faizi

1. Nomenclature
In Chitral, each piece of land, each single plot, each single house and each estate has a typical name. Even mountain slopes, gorges and patches have been given certain names. The etymology of nomenclature goes back to distant past or near past to be determined by the language which bears the name.
The name Balim, according to Akbarnama, means ‘boat’ in Sanskrit. Balim is situated at 8,500 feet above sea level on the left bank of rive Chitral on Shandur Road, 115 kolometres to the east of the district headquarters of Chitral. It was called Balim perhaps because of its shape resembling an air-driven boat with a river flowing under its feet.

II. Early History:
Watered by two springs – Drokosh and Tharwagh – Balim was settled in 800 BC or around 900 BC. Some burials were found by the villagers during excavations for irrigation channels or reclaiming wastelands which have toys, beads and utensils of early Aryan and pre-Aryan age. The names of some patches of lands suggest that some ancient languages were spoken in the village. For example, Dongiran, Nilobat, Logaya, ect., are derived from such unknown languages.

III. Environment
According to available records, oral history and traditional knowledge, at the initial stage the village was covered by forests. Main species were sea-buck thorn, wild rose, juniper, willow and birch. There are houses 600-900 years old in which pillars and lentils of sea-buck thorn, wild rose, birch or juniper wood can still be seen in quite good condition. With the passage of time, poplar, Russian olive, apricot, apple, walnut, mulberry and other trees were introduced in farms and backyard gardens. Along with exotic species, some alien species like ailanthus and acacia have also been planted in the village. Wheat, barley, maize, beans and millet are the major crops of the village in the single crop zone. The crops are irrigated by three irrigation channels built over the past 700 years (Sumalik, Raise and Katoor period). Currently, Balim has a population of 280 households (3,000 souls).

IV. Demography
The population is heterogeneous in nature. There are six ethnic groups from different origins.
1. Ukil: Locally known as Shakarey, the Ukil clan traces its lineage to Turkistan from where their ancestors migrated to Chitral in the remote past.
2. Bozhokey: Predominant in the valley, this clan is S hin in origin, their forefathers migrated from Chilas during the Raise rule around 1380 A.D. Their majority lives in adjacent village of Sorlaspur.
3. Khoshey: This clan also traces its origin to Turkistan.
4. Bedechey: History shows that Bedachey are also traced back to Turkistan.
5. Jekaney: Basically Dardic and emigrants from Indus Kohistan upper Swat, the Jekaney clan lives in Balim, Chitral and Golamuli Ghazur.
6. Laghey: Laghey is the clan of aborigines or first settlers in the village in 800 B.C. Their number and possession is on decline.

V. Historic monuments
There are a number of historical monuments in Balim. On the southern outskirts of the village, there are bunkers, some caver and stone pollors (Panji) which are reminiscent of the invasion of Sangin Ali II via Bashqargol from Kalam, Swat, in 1660 A.D. There are also traces of an old pologround and forts in the heartland which is still called Junaili (the pologround). Next to the pologround is a piece of land called Noghormuli (below the fort). In oral traditions, it is narrated that the fort was intact until the rule of Khairullah Khoshwaqtia (1761-1786). The pologround was converted into croplands during later Katur period by H.H. Shujaul Mulk (1895-1936). It was replaced by another pologround to the north of Balim.
There is a piece of land called “Bashalieni”. The name suggests that the village was abode of Kalash at some stage of history.

VI. Current Status:
Balim is connected to Chitral-Shandur Road by a hanging bridge over the river. The village has its own hydel power station with a capacity of 125KV which provides round-the-clock electricity to the residents, sufficient to meet their needs for lighting, heating, cooking and running machines like sawmills and flour mills. The village has one primary school for girls, one primary school for boys, one middle school for boys and a high school for boys. The Aga Khan Education Service has also established its community-based school for girls up to the secondary level in the village.

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Losing PPP candidate threatens hunger strike till death

admin — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:53:35 +0000

ISLAMABAD, May 21: PPP runner-up from upper Chitral’s provincial assembly seat of PK-90, Sardar Hussain, on Monday told a press conference in Islamabad that he was going to launch a hunger strike till death if his demand for recounting of votes was not accepted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
It may be noted that Sardar Hussain lost to Ghulam Mohammad of Pervez Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) by seven votes. His application for recounting of votes at the polling stations of Brep, Parkusap, Chuinj, Sonoghur and Nishku, Laspur, was referred to the election tribunal in Peshawar by the district returning officer of Chitral on Monday.
Speaking at the news conference at the PPP media office, Mr Hussain alleged that even dead people had cast votes in his constituency. Former MPA and president PPP women wing Islamabad Nargis Faiz Malik and MPA-elect from PK-89 Chitral Salim Khan were also present. Mr Sardar Hussain demanded a recount in all the 108 polling stations in his constituency.
He said at the time of counting, the election official had declared that he had bagged only three votes from one ballot box in Chuinj polling station. However, he said, when on his demand a recounting was carried out it transpired that he had got 101 votes.
He warned that he would sit on a hunger strike till death in front of ECP and people of Chitral would also join him in the protest recounting of the votes was not ordered. He said he had already submitted an application with the authorities concerned for recounting of votes.

Alhaj Muhammad Khan clears CSS exam

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:06:20 +0000

CHITRAL, May 21: Alhaj Muhammad Khan of Charun, Chitral, has passed the Central Superior Service (CSS) examination 2012, according to the results announced by the Federal Public Service Commission, Islamabad, on Monday.
Mr Khan did his masters’ in political science from the Peshawar University and teaches at the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Chitral. He has also been regularly contributing news and articles to ChitralToday (chitraltoday.net) for the last over three years. It may be noted that 10,066 candidates had appeared in the CSS exam this year out of whom only 788 got through the written portion and interview of the competitive exam with the pass percentage of just 7.9.

For detailed results, click this link: http://www.fpsc.gov.pk/icms/user/news_detail.php?newsid=11867

Musharraf directs MPA-elect to support PTI govt

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:44:36 +0000

PESHAWAR, May 20: Former president Pervez Musharraf has directed MPA-elect Ghulam Mohammad from upper Chitral to unconditionally support Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The MPA-elect from PK-90 said he held a meeting with Gen Pervez Musharraf at his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad, Islamabad. “My boss ordered me to support the PTI government in KPK unconditionally,” he said. Ghulam Mohammad won the election on the ticket of Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) by securing 10,691 votes. He said his party would unconditionally support the PTI-led coalition government in the province. “I did not demand any portfolio in the cabinet or any other position in the next government,” he said.
The PTI has won 35 seats in the provincial assembly and has struck a deal with Jamaat-i-Islami, Qaumi Watan Party, Awami Jamhuri Itehad Pakistan and independents to form a coalition government. Three independent MPAs-elect including a former minister Sameeullah Alizai have also supported coalition government.

ISF Chitral to protest killing of PTI leader

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:36:11 +0000

CHITRAL, May 20: The leaders of Insaf Students Federation (ISF) have demanded of the government to bring to book those involved in the assassination of party leader Zahra Shahid in Karachi.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the president of district chapter of ISF, Nazir Ahmed, Qazi Zakirullah, Abdul Wakeek Sooz and others said PTI would not allow the MQM to carry on serial killing in Karachi any more.
They said that the chief of their party Imran Khan had ordered the workers to launch peaceful protests across the country and in line with this the ISF would take out protest processions and hold meetings in Chitral on Tuesday to condemn the brutal killing of their leader.
They thanked the people of Chitral for extending overwhelming support on the PTI candidates in the general elections and said the party would come up to the expectations of the people by establishing an ideal government in the province.
They also expressed their resolve of weeding out all kinds of injustices in the area which caused poverty and indigence.- Zahiruddin

PK-90: Plea for recounting of votes referred to Peshawar

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:51 +0000

CHITRAL, May 20: The district returning officer Chitral on Monday referred an application filed by PPP candidate Sardar Hussain from PK-90 upper Chitral for recounting of votes to the election tribunal in Peshawar.

Sources in the district returning officer office told chitraltoday.net that the district and sessions judge, Syed Zamurad Shah, who was also the DRO, ruled that he had no authority to order a recounting after rejection of the same appeal by the returning officer of PK-90. It may be noted that Sardar Husain had filed the appeal after losing the election to APML candidate Ghulam Mohammad by seven votes. The election tribunals are yet to be formed by the Peshawar High Court but once in place they would under the election law decide the appeal within 21 days. If rejected by the tribunal, the applicants may approach the Election Commission or the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

http://chitraltoday.net/tribunal-to-decide-pk-90-results/

Why symbol of peace is hunted down in Chitral?

admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:49:45 +0000

CHITRAL, May 19: The hunting season of Russian turtle doves has started in the upper valleys of Chitral where the migratory birds are ruthlessly killed as the officials of wildlife department are least bothered to stop it.

A community conservation worker from Terich valley, Hashim Baig, told this correspondent here that although dove was taken as an emblem of peace, the hunters in Chitral went after it mercilessly in the course of its migration from the neighbouring Central Asian states of Tajkistan and Uzbekstan in May every year.
He said that the species of dove was included in the game birds which can be hunted by getting a shooting permit licence but one cannot shoot more than two doves a day while in practice the hunters far exceed the specified number.
Mr. Baig complained that the unbridled hunters developed a craze and chased the flock to its annihilation in the highlands and pastures while a consummate hunter kills as many as one hundred doves in a single day.
Larger in size than the oriental turtle doves as found in the plain areas of the country, the one migrating to Chitral from the adjoining areas of the Central Asian states are said to be threatened by extinction as their number is steeply decreasing every year.
A biodiversity specialist, requesting not to be named, said that the unchecked and ruthless hunting is the sole responsible factor for the fast depleting population of the bird in Chitral.
Regarding the migration of the bird to Chitral, he said that the breeding areas of the Central Asia received heavy and incessant rainfall in the months of April and May which forced the bird to the northern belts of Chitral and Afghanistan in search of food.
He said that the breeding season starts on their return to the origin places in the month of June and their hunting in large number is jeopardizing their future population.
He said that the hunting can be controlled effectively by community mobilization which has been practiced in the past.–Zahiruddin

Woman from Hunza scales Mount Everest

admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:23:31 +0000

ISLAMABAD, May 19: A 19-year-old mountaineer, Samina Baig, from the Shimshal valley of Hunza has become the first Pakistani woman to scale Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain with a peak at 8,848 metres.
Ms Baig completed the climb to the summit at around 7:30am local time on Sunday with her brother Mirza Ali, 29. Ali became the third and youngest Pakistani male to scale the mountain.
The Nepal Mountaineering Department official Tilak Padney said 35 foreigners accompanied by 29 Nepalese Sherpa guides reached the peak after climbing all night from the highest camp on South Col — the pass between Everest and a neighboring mountain.
Ali has been climbing since age 15, and he was Baig’s mentor, guide and support.
To the surprise of many in the mountaineering community, Samina Baig summated Mount Everest on May 19 with twin sisters from India – Tashi and Nugshi Malik – also 21 years old.
Although, messages had been going around that Samina Baig and her 29 years old brother Mirza Ali summated Mount Everest together, Alpine Club of Pakistan was still to make official the news if Samina’s brother had also summated.
“We have confirmed that Samina Baig made history by becoming the first Pakistani girl to summit the world’s highest peak at 8, 848 meters high peak. We are still trying to confirm if the brother and made it to the top together,” said Executive Member ACP, Karrar Haidri. Once the news was confirmed, 29 years old Mirza Ali could be the youngest Pakistani to summit Mount Everest. According to ACP, both brother and sister had started the descent back to base camp.

Elopement of girls a major issue in Chitral

admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:31:47 +0000

By Alamgir Sangal
It is believed that women are the most sensitive part of a society. In all cultures of the world, women possess the identity of a mother, sister, wife and daughter.
In the context of a backward area like our homeland Chitral, women are believed to be the most respectable part of society. This identity of women in Islam has been given by Almighty God and prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Today, when we look at our society many drastic changes, mainly through the communication revolution, have made our life much easier and also brought some serious issues.
Elopement of girls in Chitral is one of the issues created mostly by the communication technology. The Islamic cultural values are vanishing slowly. In western society, elopement is not that big issue but in Pakistan, especially in Chitral, it is seen as against our traditional values. In Chitral, this is a problem of vice and virtue.
Now a question again arises that why do girls take this step in the first place? I met many people – young and old boys and girls – and got to know that this is not only the girls’ fault. This issue arises basically from the generation gap existing among the family members, gender inequality, discrimination and no power in decision-making on the party of the girls.
In many families, the girls are not able to share their feelings with their parents, elder brothers, or even elder sisters because most of the time the person she wants to marry is from the opposite sect or clan. It may be noted that sectarianism is one of the major barriers in such matters. Recently, two such cases were observed in my own village where a girl eloped with a boy who belonged to her opposite community. This problem arises where the family members refuse to take action in favor of the girl’s will.
In almost 80% of such cases, people think the family is responsible. Sometimes it happens that when a girl shares her wishes with her family they think it is against their culture and will bring bad name for them and give a very harsh response. Many times, this behavior gives birth to another issue of suicide. Interestingly, in Chitrali culture people encourage the boy for taking this step, but the girl loses her every relation for taking a decision absed on her wishes. This is a very strange behavior of Chitrali people towards elopement.
During the last one year, almost five such cases occurred which I saw myself. As far as I got information I concluded that such relations are not successful, may be the reason is that such steps are mostly taken in an emotional mood.
Once I happened to be involved in a hot discussion with my family, it was about elopement. During the discussion, my mother told us a story of a girl who eloped in our village. This girl was from Yarkhun valley and the boy and the girl did not know each other by face they just contacted each other on phone and at last got married without their families’ permission. When the girl saw the boy, she was shocked. The boy was a foreign educated but belonged to a very poor family as compared to the girl. Within seven days, the girl ran away and went to home.
These types of stories are very common in our society where every next week such an incident happens. The people are still unable to stop it or accept it. Today there is a least a difference between western culture and our culture. Everyone is anxious about these happenings.
I think nobody is bad or good, it’s all about people’s perceptions. If a boy or a girl does a mistake he/she does not do it to harm anyone’s dignity. They don’t know that it is wrong other wise no one can wish to be called unethical or immoral. Being educated or being a part of Chitrali culture we should discuss these issues and find some solution to this problem. In Booni a youth forum “YOUTH HORIZON” is working on these social issues I met the member of that forum too. If in Chitral people show concern on this issue and work to overcome it, it can be overcome soon.

The writer is a student of Class 9th at the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Chitral

Suicide? newly-wedded woman kills herself

admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:18:37 +0000

CHITRAL, May 18: A newly-wedded young woman reportedly committed suicide in the Shabronz village of Oveer valley in upper Chitral due to unknown reasons.
The local police are said to be probing into the incident, however.
A police official told this correspondent on Saturday that Khamisa Bibi, 25, allegedly fired upon herself inside her house. She had married Rahmat Wali Khan of the same village only five months back.
Her father, while reporting the incident to the police, said he held no one responsible for the suicide of his daughter. He claimed that her daughter was “mentally not sound” and she had been treated for this disease in a hospital at Peshawar.
The body of the woman was buried in the village after a postmortem carried out at the District Headquarters Hospital in Chitral on Saturday. The final medical report is yet to be compiled by a team of doctors at the hospital.
Dr Noorul Islam, the medical superintendent (MS) of the hospital, told this correspondent that the woman had received bullet injury from a very close range at the right side of her abdomen. The bullet passed horizontally from the left side, he added. Dr Islam said the report was being compiled as the results of some observations were to be included in the final report.
The police have started an inquiry into the incident to ascertain the circumstances of the woman’s death. It may be noted that there have been scores of such incidents in Chitral for the last many decades. Last year, in the same valley a young girl was reported to have committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. Her body was buried without carrying out a postmortem.
Later, the police conducted an inquiry and after getting permission from the magistrate exhumed the body. The examination of the body showed that she had been killed by smashing her head. Her skull was shattered into pieces, said the report.- Zahiruddin
In the past, after killing young women mainly for their decisions to marry against their parents’ wish their relatives showed them as a suicide and the police rarely took action. But now there is a change and such cases are being investigated by the police. In many instances, bodies of such victims were exhumed to ascertain the causes of the death.