In Thar: ‘But not a drop to drink

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 Every day, Ali Akbar and his team drive from village to village to check on how the villagers are faring in this remote part of Thar. They are determined to provide clean drinking water to countless hamlets that dot this desert.

Their first stop is the village of Samoo Rind. For their everyday needs, the villagers here rely on underground water which is contaminated with high levels of fluoride and hence unfit for human consumption. Consequently, people are crippled and disabled with multiple health issues.

Ali Akbar brought a doctor with him to advise the villagers on how to deal with their ailments. “We use a variety of ways to convince people to drink clean water. Calling in doctors is one of the ways to try and convince villagers that their illnesses are caused by water,” he says.

A son of the soil returns to Thar to raise awareness and funds to make his dream of ‘clean drinking water for all’ a reality

According to the World Health Organisation, water contamination levels should not exceed 1,200tds (total dissolved solids). In Thar, the contamination level is over 4,000tds. This amount can be fatal.

See: Thar: Drought or disaster?   pktrack

As the doctor moves from patient to patient, ailments change. Some villagers have no teeth, others have kidney problems, still others are crippled while some have had to have their limbs amputated.

Ali Akbar’s next stop is the village of Mao Akhayraj where the villagers are divided on the basis of beliefs, caste systems and class. Since they don’t sit together with one another, it makes his task even harder. Here the villagers believe that their health is affected by supernatural elements rather than physiological conditions. As though they have been cursed and can be cured by prayer.  

Ali Akbar knows that it will take time to shatter this long-standing myth. This time he doesn’t bring a doctor but a villager from Samoo Rind with him.

In 2003, Ali Akbar realised that the water in his area was salty and unfit for consumption. “I would often see birds drinking the water and dying,” he says. “I realised something had to be done.” 

“My companion is from Samoo Rind, his name is Jiyendo Khan. He is unwell, just like you. He will now tell us about his illness. And tell us about various treatments he underwent.”

Jiyendo steps forward and as if on cue begins:

“I am about 25 or 26 years old. I first experienced pain in my knees and in one finger. Eventually the pain spread to all of my joints. All our teeth are rotten, even though we don’t chew tobacco or eat paan. This entire crisis is due to the water we use,” he explains, as the crowd nods. “A filtration pump was installed in our village and after drinking filtered water for two to three months, the pain in my hands disappeared. The pump separates contaminants from the water.”

Look through: PPP leader admits death of nearly 300 Thar children this year

The villagers pepper Jiyendo and Ali Akbar with questions, which they patiently respond to. They hope that the session has convinced the community to install a filtration pump that everyone in the village can have access to. Time is a luxury they do not have because they know that without this pump, those who are severely crippled will soon die.

Ali Akbar was born and raised in this very desert. His earliest memories are of his paternal grandmother and mother filling their water-pots from a nearby well.

“There used to be a drought every few years and people would migrate from one place to another,” he tells us. “At that time there were not many cars and communication was difficult. People who were really poor and possessed few goods and animals had to face problems. They used to leave their house and move to an area near a barrage.”

In 2003, Ali Akbar realised that the water in his area was salty and unfit for consumption. “I would often see birds drinking the water and dying,” he says. “I realised something had to be done.”

Know more: Water contamination in Thar Desert

He got a group of friends together and discussed the issue with them. Together they laid the foundation of an organisation called AWARE. Its objectives included water and energy. Initially, they focused on water issues.

“First we tried to figure out the intensity of the problem, where the water is salty, how salty it is, what salts it might contain and what are the effects of these salts on the human body and animals.”

It was then that they discovered the culprit — fluoride —which is colourless, odourless and tasteless and thus, when Ali Akbar’s team would ask the villagers about their water they would say it was clean because it wasn’t salty.

“The problem was that even though the water wasn’t salty, it was still hazardous to people’s health. Their teeth, bones and nervous system were badly affected by it.”

On a cool November evening, Ali Akbar addressed a group of young students encouraging them to write about their problems. “I will be handing out postcards that are pre-stamped and addressed to various organisations.

Write your problems on this postcard, and we will mail it out so that your issues are conveyed to these organisations, he told the school.

“When we post these, people outside of Thar will hear of your problems and understand the conditions that you are living in.”

Faisalabad – The largest industrial Zone

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Faisalabad is the largest industrial and metropolitan city of Pakistan. Faisalabad is quite diverse with respect to its culture. The culture of Faisalabad is quite diverse because it is an industrial city and people from all over Pakistan come to work here, few component of Faisalabad culture are as follow:

The reason Faisalabad is called Manchester of Pakistan because it’s the biggest textile city of Pakistan and all the industries here related to textiles and same is Manchester in UK so these cities are also named as Twin cities.

 After Lahore, Faisalabad is famous for its food. The most common snack item samosas of Faisalabad are considered the best in Pakistan. Desi foods and snacks like dahi bhally, gol gappy are the specialities . Biryani and pulao are also very well-known. Moreover no city can boast of a better Dal Chawal serving than Faisalabad. It’s one of the favorite foods here. The parathas available at Ghanta Ghar are very famous and a large crowd comes to attend all night long. They come in different fillings such as potatoes, mixed vegetable, chicken etc. As far as drinks are concerned Rabri, Sugar cane rusk, limo pani and lassi are the most favorite drink of the people of Faisalabad. Lassi is being liked by most Punjabis.

 Like all other cities, cricket is the most popular sport in the Faisalabad. The oldest and only venue for international cricket matches is Iqbal Stadium is situated here.

Other popular sports in the city are hockey, weightlifting, association football, kabaddi, table tennis, billiards and snooker, squash, and horse racing. Sports like badminton, volleyball and basketball have also started to gain popularity as western influences have affected the locals. The city also has facilities for hockey such as the Faisalabad Hockey Stadium on Susan Road which mostly hosts field hockey matches. Faisalabad, with its affluent culture and cheerful manifestations welcomes all to visit the Manchester of Pakistan and praise the beauty that resides in it as well as its people.

 The Punjabi dresses are considered as the traditional clothes of Faisalabad. Punjabi dress for men comprises Pagri, Kurta and dhoti. Punjabi women wear Shalwar Kameez and Dupatta. Traditional Lacha and Bangles and Paranda are also used. Moreover all of these Punjabi women dress items can be embroidered to add more to grace and beauty of clothing. But with the passage of time Faisalabad women has started to adapt new styles, some of which are the combination of Pakistani and western clothing. Like women wear embroidered kurta with jeans and trousers. Faisalabad is well recognized for its cloth and related items throughout the world. It is the best market to buy home furnishings (bed sheets, curtains, towels etc.), personal clothing, and hosiery wear

 There are lots of recreational places found all around Faisalabad which are a source of attraction for visitors and native people. The Faisalabad clock tower is famous over the world and is one of the oldest monuments still standing in its original form since British rule. It was constructed in a special way by placing the clock at the center of the eight markets which, from the top it looks like the Union Jack flag of the United Kingdom. Other recreational spots includes Happy Land Water Park which is an international level park built as a complete entertainment center for families and contains biggest water slides in Pakistan. It is also equipped with amazing swings for both children and adults. Rex City is a big computer market where once can find computer sales and service shop easily. Jinnah Garden is also a beautiful park in the city commonly known as “Company Bagh”. Canal Park located at the west bank of Rakh Branch Canal is also a good outing place for families. The majestic Chenab Club standing in the shades of trees and complemented by vast lush green lawns, is located in the beautiful surroundings of “Jinnah Garden” is great attraction.

 Faisalabad has always been a hub of literature. Renowned poets and prose writers belong to this city. Sahir Ludhianwi, the great poet of the sub-continent, belongs to Faisalabad. The other important writers are Afzal Ahsan Randhawa, Shehzada Hassan, Adeem Hashmi, Riaz Majeed and Dr. Waheed Ahmed.Literacy rate is higher than average. Faisalabad has the distinction of being a seat of world famous Agricultural University and equally renowned Agricultural Ayub Research Institute beside the Punjab Medical College there are several other colleges like Commerce College, Textile College, Superior Science College, Poly Technical College and others. Literacy rate is higher than average.Almost 95% people speak Punjabi. But being in center of Punjab, people speak many other languages as well like pothohari ,pahari, shah puri The other languages such as Urdu being national language is spoken and understood. English is also understood and spoken by the sizable educated people.

Life of Stray Dogs in Pakistan

 

 Stray dogs lope around, their tails between their legs, trying to be invisible. They shy from physical 
contact with people but respond with surprise and simpering gratitude if it is offered. Most of their physical interactions with people come in the form of kicks or flying stones.

Their only real joy come when they join a foraging or hunting party or when they assemble as a pack. Then their tails would wag and they would briefly forget their hunger.

Many of these dogs loosely belong to someone, but they are not considered objects of affection or “part of the family.

There is usually rarely enough food to go around and dogs are expected to take care of themselves. So they scavenge for scraps at night, and if these are inadequate they hunted lizards, mice, insects and all manner of other creatures.

To empathize with an animal you could not think like a human and project your mind-set into it; you had to “be” the animal.

Many find the habit of feeding and petting stray dogs odd enough, but the idea of giving it a human burial just seem absurd to most. But it is not completely without reference.

Some critics say that the problem with animal rights activists is that they think dogs behave like humans or even that the dogs think that they are humans. They are not humans. They are dogs. Their ways are different, they contend.

This line of linking seems at odds with the idea that hunter-gatherers had deeply empathetic relationships with the animals they lived among. But perhaps this is precisely what justifies the indifference.

Some hunter-gathers like Ju/’hoansi insisted that animals are people. Not humans but people. They asserted that each species of animal had its own physical forms, customs, habits and ways of experiencing and interacting with the world. Ju/’hoansi claimed to know this because they observed, engaged with and empathized with the animals with whom they shared their world.

Most pet owners claim that the sympathy they offer their pets is based on an empathetic relationship with them built on traits our species and their species have in common — in the case of dogs their sociability, their loyalty, their gratitude.

But this is a different understanding of empathy than that which hunter-gatherers like the Ju/’hoansi had for their animal neighbors.

For them animal empathy was not a question of focusing on an animal’s human-like characteristics, but of assuming the whole perspective of the animal. Their animal empathy defied verbalization. To empathize with an animal you could not think like a human and project your mind-set into it; you had to “be” the animal.

This view of empathy was the product of millennia of living among the wild animals of the Kalahari as “neighbors” and hunting them. Where other peoples defined themselves by reference to other tribes or nations, Ju/’hoansi defined themselves in terms of their differences from the lions, elephants, aardvarks, elands and many other creatures they lived among. Their animal neighbors were a constant source of fascination. Any interesting or unusual animal behaviors, habits and interactions would generate considerable discussion.

Their knowledge of the animals was such that they were able to establish an animal’s apparent motives and actions from a few scuffs in the sand, sometimes a day or two old, and accurately predict its movements or behavior on this basis. But their success as hunters, after all, depended on their ability to accurately anticipate the behavior of their prey. And this, they insisted, required empathy.

Typically Ju/’hoansi hunted with small poison arrows that lacked fletching. It took great skill and knowledge to get close enough to an animal to shoot it and even greater skill to able to track the animal down as the poison did its work, which could take between six and 48 hours depending on the size of the animal. After shooting a large animal like an oryx or a giraffe, a hunter would memorize the individual animal’s spoor and return the following morning to track it down.

When a hunter found and followed his prey’s spoor he would not merely read it but surrender himself into it, living each footfall that scuffed the sand. In doing so he plunged into his prey’s consciousness, dissolving the boundary between the hunter and the hunted. Finally, by consuming their prey, the hunter and the prey’s relationship would move from an empathetic union to a physical one as they literally became of one body.

But this kind of empathy did not persuade Ju/’hoansi and other hunter-gatherers to feel sympathy for animals or assume a duty of care for them. Rather it made people focus more on the non-human behaviors of animals rather than what they had in common. Among people who considered themselves to be just one of many different kinds of animal-people in a wild environment, hunting, death and pain were parts of everyday life. Human compassion did not extend to other species.

The relationship of dog-lovers with dogs is an artifact of the Neolithic Revolution. The domestication of the wolf was but a small part of a transition that fundamentally reconfigured how humans related to their environments. Where they once saw themselves as one of many creatures sharing environments, they now placed themselves at its center and sought mastery over it. Accordingly animals were divided into a series of new categories based on how they fit into the human world. Some were designated pets or “livestock” – and a duty of care was extended to them. Others were designated pests or vermin. Animals ceased to be considered different kinds of “people,” and those like dogs were selected and bred, for human-like traits, among other things, that we could easily empathize with without displacing our sense of ourselves as humans.

The lives of animal rights activists and dogs intersect. They both are Neolithic orphans stranded in a Paleolithic world. The Ju/’hoansi’s sense of interspecies relations and their extraordinary empathy was right for the wild animals that shared their world, and there is much we can learn from it. But when it comes to dogs, and other creatures that have evolved to crave our affection, the animal rights activists should be glad to be a child of the Neolithic.

Some excerpts based on writings of James Suzman who is an anthropologist and who has spent most of his adult life working with and writing about Kalahari and its peoples. He is the founder of the research organization Anthropos.org, based in Cambridge, England.

Rare Pheasant & Partridge Hunter Caught in KP

                 Rare Pheasant & Partridge Hunter Caught in KP  pktrack.blogspot.com

                 

Akhunzada Hasham Hazrat, a government official from Dir, has been booked for hunting 28 rare pheasants and partridges in Kohistan. His crime was discovered after he uploaded pictures on to Facebook.

His favourite website appears to be a Turkish one, mahmutogluav.com, dedicated to hunting wildlife and the best possible equipment to do it with.

His Facebook account is flooded with trophy photographs from what appear to be many hunting trips.

The photographs were discovered by Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf’s central vice president Malik Amin Aslam who went straight to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa wildlife department.

Aslam, who is also a former state minister for environment, informed K-P Chief Conservator Syed Mubarik Ali Shah on July 21, 2014, and forwarded him the pictures. The office then apprehended the hunter and fined him Rs50,500 for killing 25 Koklass and three Monals.
 “There is a group of six of them,” said Dr Mohsin Farooque, the officer tasked with investigating this case by Chief Conservator Syed Mubarik Ali Shah. “This kind of hunting isn’t done on your own.”

Hasham apparently told them he had hunted the bird elsewhere but according to Farooque no matter where he did it, it would still constitute an offence. “However comments posted on Facebook prove it took place in Kohistan,” added Farooque.

An official of the wildlife department said that pheasant hunting is completely banned across the mountain ranges of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but even then people hunt due to lack of enforcement.

“Monals are found at an altitude of 8,000 feet or above with the Koklass pheasant and hunting them is prohibited,” he said, adding that the Monal was highly valued for its beautiful feathers. “Normally you are fined just Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 when caught and people willingly pay it,” he said.

Shah fined Hasham and produced him in the court of the Timergara assistant commissioner.

The case was compounded by the wildlife district officer for Timergara and Hasham paid the fine and removed the pictures.

Keeping endangered species alive

The office of the K-P chief conservator says eight pheasantries are working on the captive breeding of pheasants over a total of 5.16 hectares, according to experts from the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Hazara University and Department of Wildlife in Buner, who were published in the International Journal of Biosciences in 2012. These are Dhodial Pheasantry, Bannu Pheasantry, Patanay Mini Pheasantry, Fizagat Pheasantry, Kotal Pheasantry Enclosure, Zafar Park Pheasantry, Safari Park Pheasantry and Kund Park Pheasantry.

Kalash – Valley PAKISTAN

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The Kalash or the Kalasha are the only pagan minority residing in the Chitral district of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhua. They form the smallest minority community in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Though the people of Kalash were once in a large number, around 200,000, the number has dwindled so much so that only a handful of Kalashas remain— about 3000 to 4000. The striking decrease in the population of Kalashas pertains to the forceful conversion of these pagans to Islam. Even in the current day scenario, smallest pagan minority is hardly given any rights and is not recognized as a separate entity. Only a handful of foreign NGOs are working towards the development and progress of this area and tribe.

 The Kalashas live in three valleys of Chitral namely, Rumbur, Brumbret and Birir. The Rumbur and Brumbret form a single culture due to their very similar cultural practices, while Birir being the most traditional one forms a separate culture.

 The people of Kalash or white skinned with golden brown hair and blue eyes.

 History

The origins of Kalashas still remain unresolved as their history is shrouded behind a number of theories, mysteries and controversies. Of these many theories, three carry with them great significance and are considered closest to reality.

 The grandest of all is that the Kalashas carry a romantic view of being the descendents of Alexander the Great. On the other hand, many historians believe that they are indigenous tribe of the neighboring area of Nuristan also called Kafiristan (the land of Kafirs). It is believed that in 1895 Amir Abdul Rahman, the king of Afghanistan, conquered the area of Nursitan and forced the inhabitants of the area to convert to Islam. It was during that time that many people fled to Chitral to avoid conversion. The third theory claims that the ancestors of Kalashas migrated from a distant place in South Asia called Tsiam. The Tsiam is considered to be the traditional home of these people. The Kalasha folk songs and fables hint the existence of Tsiam and that their roots belong in that region.

 Language

The language of the Kalash is the Kalasha and is a Dardic language (sub group of Indo-Aryan languages spoken in Northern Pakistan, eastern Afghanistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir). The language is spoken by a handful of people approximately 5000 and is considered to be critically endangered by UNESCO. The Kalasha language has no proper script; however, there have been recent developments in introducing a formal script for the language.

 Customs

The people of Kalash are extremely particular about their religion and break ties with anyone of them who converts to Islam. The converts are not allowed after the conversion to be a part of their community. They keep their identity strong.

The people of Kalash differ from the people of the surrounding areas in a number of ways. There is no separation between males and females in Kalash and are allowed to keep contact and communicate without any fingers being raised at them. Moreover, the females of Kalash are sent to live in a bashaleni when they are considered to be impure for e.g. during the child birth period and other occasions. These women are only able to live this place after they regain their purity and have undergone the ritual of restoring purity.

 The women of Kalash wear long black loose robes with colorful embroideries and cowrie shells. These women are also found wearing colorful beads and necklaces that further distinguish them from the other women of the Chitral region. They accessorize their black robes by making use of colorful long braided head wears. The males of the Kalash on the contrary have adopted the Pakistani national dress i.e. the shalwar kameez and are often found wearing waistcoats over them. They also wear hats common to the northern area of Pakistan.

 The people of Kalash march to a different drummer. Their customs and traditions are as different as day and night, especially vis–à–vis the concept of marriage. Marriage by elopement is more frequent in the Kalash valley and is also common amongst women who are already married to another man. In fact, wife elopement is considered to be one of the great customs of the people of Kalash.

When a man and woman get married the man pays the woman’s family a certain amount in order to have her. When a woman wants to leave her current husband and marry some other man, she offers herself to that man and informs him of how much her current husband had paid for her. In order for the man to marry an already married woman he has to pay double the amount to have her.

 Religion

The Kalashas are polytheistic believing in 12 Gods and Goddesses. A renowned linguist Richard strand, is of the view that the people of Kalash practice an ancient form of Hinduism which gradually developed locally and got influenced by the neighboring areas of pre Islamic Nuristan.

They believe in a number of Gods e.g. Yama Raja also called Dezau and Khodai who is the creator deity. Another god is the Balumain who is the cultural hero and taught the people of Kalash how to celebrate the winter festival. Other gods include Destak, Munjem, Dezalik.

Rituals

Like all the other religions, the Kalasha also have different religious rituals and practices. In Kalash the rituals are the means of generating economic activity and are gift giving festivals.

The numerous Gods and Goddesses have shrines and altars all over the valley where goat sacrifices are offered regularly.  Crows that are considered to be their ancestors are frequently fed with their left hand at a number of places including tombs. Moreover, the people of Kalash do not bury their dead under the ground rather their coffins are left out in the open. They believe that the soul was excited to leave the human body and reunite with the already departed souls. It is for this reason that they celebrate the funeral of a dead person by singing and dancing rather than mourning over their bodies.

 Festivals

The inhabitants of the Kalash valley celebrate a number of festivals all year round. The three predominant festivals are as follows:

·         Joshi: It is celebrated in May and marks the arrival of spring. People wear new clothes and women accessorize heavily, girls are sent to the hill side for dancing and singing. Women decorate their houses and collect milk from the cattle, One year old babies and their mothers are also purified in this festival.

·         Uchau: This festival takes place in mid August at the altar of Mahandeo where newly made cheese is brought from the pastures. Dancing and singing again forms an integral part of the festival.

·         Caumus: It is the most important festival held in mid December.

·         Conclusion

·         The people of Kalash have a rich culture and are very strong footed about their identity. These people stand out from the remaining tribes, cultures and communities of Pakistan due to their distinct culture, religious practices and festivals. The area known as Kalash Valley boosts serene beauty, lush green valleys and fruit farms making it an ideal tourist spot not only in terms of scenic beauty but also cultural diversity and religious spots. Despite all the pros the fact of the matter remains that nothing is being done to develop the area and to invest in its tourism industry. The Kalash valley faces discrimination on a number of fronts be it economic development or recognition as a separate religious entity. The area lacks proper infrastructure which cuts it off with the rest of the world and has resulted in the backwardness of the region.

·         To tap the full potential of the Kalasha Valley we need to put in a combined effort to develop it and make it accessible so as to attract tourism and enhance the economy of this region.

 Conclusion

The people of Kalash have a rich culture and are very strong footed about their identity. These people stand out from the remaining tribes, cultures and communities of Pakistan due to their distinct culture, religious practices and festivals. The area known as Kalash Valley boosts serene beauty, lush green valleys and fruit farms making it an ideal tourist spot not only in terms of scenic beauty but also cultural diversity and religious spots. Despite all the pros the fact of the matter remains that nothing is being done to develop the area and to invest in its tourism industry. The Kalash valley faces discrimination on a number of fronts be it economic development or recognition as a separate religious entity. The area lacks proper infrastructure which cuts it off with the rest of the world and has resulted in the backwardness of the region.

 To tap the full potential of the Kalasha Valley we need to put in a combined effort to develop it and make it accessible so as to attract tourism and enhance the economy of this region.

Pakistan is a very fascinating and interesting place

Pakistan is a very fascinating and interesting place


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Northern Areas of Pakistan, spread over 72,496 sq. km are as fascinating as its southern region. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with heights varying from 1,000 m to 8,000 meters, the regions of Gilgit, Hunza, Baltistan and Shangri-La. The cultural patterns of these regions are as interesting as its geography. The people with typical costumes, folk dances, music and sports like polo and buzkashi, provide the traveller an unforgettable experience.

Out of 14 over 8,000 meters high peaks on earth, 4 occupy an amphitheater at the head of Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram range in Northern Pakistan. These are; K-2 or Mount Godowin Austin (8,611 m, world's second highest), Gasherbrum-I (8,068 m), Broad Peak (8,047 m) and Gasherbrum-II (8,035 m).

There is yet another which is equally great, Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), located at the western most end of the Himalayas. In addition to these mountains, there are 68 peaks over 7,000 m and hundreds others of over 6,000 meters.

The Northern Pakistan has some of the longest glaciers outside Polar region; Siachen (72 km), Hispar (61 km), Biafo (60 km), Baltoro (60 km) and Batura (64 km). See some of these great peaks in the NWFP Picture Gallery Section 1 and Section 2

Swat Valley

The Lush-green valley of Swat, with its rushing torrents, icy-cold lakes, fruit-laden orchards and flower-decked slopes is ideal for holiday-makers intent on relaxation. It has a rich historical past, too.

This is "Udayana" (the "Garden") of the ancient Hindu epics; "the land of enthralling beauty" where Alexander of Macedonia fought and won some of his major battles before crossing over to the plains of Pakistan. This is "the valley of the hanging chains" described by the famous Chinese pilgrim-chroniclers, Huain Tsang and Fa-Hian in the fifth and sixth centuries.

Swat was once the cradle of Buddhism of all its schools- Little Vehicle, Great Vehicle and the Esoteric sects where once 1,400 monasteries flourished. It was the home of the famous Gandhara School of Sculpture which was an expression of Graeco-Roman form in the local Buddhist tradition. See NWFP Picture Gallery for some beautiful pictures of Swat Valley

Swat was also the historical land where the Muslim conquerors, Mahmud of Ghazni, Babur and Akbar fought their battles preparatory to the conquest of the South Asia. The ruins of great Buddhist stupas, monasteries and statues are found all over Swat.

The valley of Swat sprawls over 10,360 sq. kms at an average elevation of 975 metres. The maximum temperature in July is 38 C and minimum (during January) is 1 C. The normal temperature is maximum 21 C and minimum 7 C. The tourist season is year-round.

Swat Valley is divided into 3 main areas, Saidu Sharif, Mingora and Kalam.

Saidu Sharif

Headquarters of Swat Valley, Saidu Sharif houses the Swat Museum which contains one of the finest collections of Gandhara art in the world.

Mingora

3 kms From Saidu Sharif, has yielded magnificent pieces of Buddhist sculpture and the ruins of great stupas. Other beauty spots worth visiting are Marghzar, 13kms from Saidu Sharif, famous for its "Sufed Mahal" or White Palace, the white marble palace of the former Wali (ruler) of Swat; Kabl, 16 kms from Saidu Sharif with its excellent golf course, Madyan, 55 kms from Saidu Sharif, Bahrain, Miandam and Kalam. Malam Jabba, at 2,636 metres above sea level and 45 kms north-east of Saidu Sharif is being developed as a ski-cum-summer resort.

Gilgit and Hunza Valleys

At an elevation of 1,454 metres lies the Gilgit Valley. The quaint little town of Gilgit has spectacular scenic beauty. The peak tourist season is from May to mid-October though the tourist season is round the year. The maximum temperature in May is 33 C and minimum 16 C. In September, Maximum 28 C and minimum 11C.

Places of Interests

10 kms from Gilgit town is a beautiful rock engraving of Buddha of 7th century A.D.at the mouth of the Kargah Nullah. A victory monument of Taj Mughal, built 700 years ago, is 30 kms. Jeep drive from Gilgit town.

The bridge over the fast flowing Gilgit river is the largest suspension bridge in Asia (182 metres long and 2 metres wide) permitting enough room for one jeep at a time to cross.

Activities in the area

The favourite sport in Gilgit is polo which local folks claim originated here. It's more rugged, free-style version than the sedate variety known in the plains. The polo tournament held from 1st November to 7th November is a festive occasion and draws a large number of visitors. The streams and lakes of Gilgit are full of trout.

Trekking and hiking in the rugged mountains and verdant valleys of Gilgit are allowed only in the "open zone" which extends up to 16 kms. short of the control line on the Kashmir border and up to 50 kms. short of the Afghan border. See NWFP Picture Gallery for some beautiful pictures of Gilgit

Gilgit has direct route (about 600 km) from Islamabad/Rawalpindi by the Karakoram Highway. Rawalpindi to Gilgit via Swat is 750 kms and takes 20 hours by bus/van; Rawalpindi to Gilgit via Babusar Pass 592 kms 24 hours by jeep.

Hunza Valley

The visitors to Hunza are overwhelmed by the rugged charm, the fragrant breeze signing through graceful poplar trees and the velvet-like green carpet of wheat fields, set against the background of snow-covered mountains. Situated at an elevation of 2,438 metres, Hunza valley's tourist season is from May to October. The temperature in May is maximum 27 C and minimum 14 C. The October temperatures are: maximum 10 C and minimum 0 C.

Karimabad, the capital of Hunza, offers an awe-inspiring view of Rakaposhi Peak (7,788 metres). The snows of Rakaposhi glitter in the moonlight, producing an atmosphere at once ethereal and sublime. The fairy-tale like Castle of Baltit, above Karimabad, is a Hunza landmark built abut 600 years ago. Stilted on massive legs, its wooden bay windows look out over the valley. Hunza is ideal for mountaineering, trekking and hiking.

Chitral Valley and Kafiristan (Kalash Valley)

The Chitral Valley at an elevation of 1,128 metres, is favourite with mountaineers, anglers, hunters, hikers, naturalists and anthropologists. The 7,705 metres Trichmir, the highest peak of the Hindukush range, dominates this 322 kms long exotic valley.

Location

Chitral district has Afghanistan on its north, south and west. A narrow strip of Afghan territory, Wakhan, separates it from Tajikistan. The tourist season in Chitral is from June to September. The maximum temperature in June is 35 C and the minimum 19 C. In September the maximum is 24 C and minimum 8C.

Attractions

Kalash Valleys

One of the major attractions of Chitral are the Kalash valleys - the home of the Kafir-Kalash or "Wearers of the Black Robes", a primitive pagan tribe. Their ancestry is enveloped in mystery and is the subject of controversy. A legend says that five soldiers of the legions of Alexander of Macedonia settled in Chitral and are the progenitors of the Kafir-Kalash.

Over 3,000-strong Kafir-Kalash live in the valley of Birir, Bumburet and Rambur, south of Chitral. Bumburet, the largest and the most picturesque valley of the Kafir-Kalash , is 40 kms. from Chitral and is connected by a jeep-able road. Birir, 34 kms. away is accessible by a jeep-able road. Rambur is 32 kms from Chitral. 

The Kalash women wear black gowns of coarse cloth in summer and hand-spun wool dyed in black in winter. Their picturesque headgear is made of woolen black material decked out with cowry shells, buttons and crowned with a large coloured feather. See NWFP Picture Gallery for some beautiful pictures of Chitral and Kalash

The Kalash are fun loving people who love music and dancing particularly on occasion of their religious festival like Joshi Chilinjusht (14th & 15th May-spring), Phool (20th - 25th September) and Chomas (18th to 21st December for a week). Polo in Chitral is as popular as in Gilgit. Polo matches are great attractions at festive occasions. A regular Polo tournament is held every year (First week of July) at Shandur Pass.

Kaghan and Naran Valleys

A holiday in the Kaghan Valley, the Himalayan hide-away, north-east of the Hazara district of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, is an unforgettable experience. Its mountains, dales, lakes, water-falls, streams and glaciers are still in unbelievable pristine state, and unspoiled paradise. That is why it can be such a deeply satisfying experience to spend a few days in Kaghan.

Location

The Valley extends for 155 kms rising from an elevation of 2,134 metres to its highest point, the Babusar Pass, at 4,173 metres. Kaghan is at its best in the summer months (May to September). In May the temperature is: maximum 11 C and the minimum 3 C. From the middle of July up to the end of September, the road beyond Naran, snow-bound throughout the winter, is open right up to Babusar Pass.

The Kaghan Valley is accessible by road from Rawalpindi/Islamabad and Peshawar. You can drive in your own or a rented car, taxi, station-wagon or bus to Abbottabad which is 122 kms. from Rawalpindi and 217 kms. from Peshawar. Abbottabad is a charming town spread out over several low, refreshingly green hills.

Places to Visit

Balakot

From Abbottabad, you drive 72 kms to Balakot, the gateway to the Kaghan Valley. Balakot has the shrines of Syed Ahmed Shaheed and Ismail Shaheed Brelvi, the South Asia great freedom fighters.

For your drive to Kaghan, you switch over at Balakot to a jeep. Your first stop is 34 kms away at Shogran at 2,362 metres above sea level. At Kaghan, the little village that gives the valley its name-61 kms from Balakot. 

Naran

At Naran, 23 kms from Kaghan you reach the half-way point. Naran also serves as the base for the whole valley. From here you can ride a jeep or horse or hike in excursions to several picturesque lakes, valleys and peaks.

Lake Saiful Maluk

Lake Saiful Muluk has a touch of the unreal about it, nestling 3,200 metres high in the shadow of the Malika Parbat (Queen of the mountains) 5,291 metres high. You can go boating on the lake and hear the local legend about Prince Saiful Muluk who fell in love with a fairy. Further up are quaint woodland villages; Battakundi, Burawai, Besal Gittidas and Lalazar. 

Babusar Pass

The Kaghan Valley is blocked at the end by high mountains but a pass lets the jeep-able road snake over into the Chilas Valley. This is the 4,173 metres high Babusar Pass which commands the whole Kaghan panorama as well as gives you, on a clear day, glimpses of the Nanga Parbat (The Naked Mountain) glistening at 8,126 metres.

Skardu and Deosai Plains (Baltistan)

Capital of Baltistan is perched 2,438 metres above sea level in the backdrop of the great peaks of the Karakoram mountain range. Baltistan is known as the "Tibet-e-Khurd" or Little Tibet since its life-style reflects that of the roof of the World and Land of Lamas.It borders on the Chinese province of Xinjiang and Indian-occupied Kashmir.

Places to Visit

Apart from its incomparable cluster of mountain peaks and glaciers Baltistan's five valleys - Shigar, Skardu, Khaplu, Rondu and Kharmang are noted for their luscious peaches, apricots, apples and pears.

Shigar valley, 32 kms by jeep from Skardu is the gateway to the mountain peaks of the Karakorams. Skardu has a historic Fort atop a ridge known as the Mindoq-Khar or Castle of Queen Mindoq and three lovely lakes. The two - Kachura Lake 29 kms and Stapra Lake 8 kms from Sakrdu are ideal for fishing. See NWFP Picture Gallery 2 for some beautiful pictures of Skardu and Satpara Lake.

Deosai Plains

The Deosai Plains are 32 km south of Skardu. This plateau is the habitat of the greatly threatened Himalayan Brown Bear and many other wild animals. At an average elevation of 3500 metres, Deosai is now a National Park and protected area for wildlife.

The rolling grassland here supports no trees or shrubs and the area is snow covered for seven months of the year. Spring comes to Deosai in August when millions of wild flowers begin to bloom all over the lush green grassland. This is a time when Deosai looks like a paradise with a landscape full of wild flowers on green rolling hills and crystal clear water streams with snow covered peaks in the background.

An adventure jeep safari will take you right across the beautiful mountain ranges of the Himalayas and the Karakorams Travelling on KKH, you will enjoy the most spectacular scenery on earth.

Before reaching Deosai, you will also witness the magical views of Nanga Parbat (8126 m), the ninth highest peak of the world. At Deosai, you first stop will be at Sheosar Lake. This place offers beautiful views of south fact of Nanga Parbat and a panoramic view of Deosai Plains.At Bara Pani, you can spend one day and visit the core of the National Park for Bear watching or you may enjoy fishing in the cold waters or Barwai Stream. From Deosai, you can travel back via Skardu and Gilgit to enjoy the most thrilling drive along the Indus River.

  pktrack.blogspot.com