Archive for June, 2008
Sost situation worries PPP
PT photo
ISLAMABAD, June 28: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has expressed concern over ‘deliberate attempts’ being made to create law and order problem in upper Hunza by remnants of the past regime and called for an immediate halt to such activities.
PPP spokesman and former senator Farhatullah Babar in a statement here on Saturday said that peace, development and empowerment of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan was a top priority of the government and any attempt to subvert that would not be allowed.
The plan to disrupt peace in the region came to light when several hundred people, including women and children, were forced to stage a protest demonstration leading to the blockade of Karakoram Highway (KKH) at the Sost border town against harassment and intimidation of people by the Chief Executive and local administration.
The demonstrators blocked the highway and chanted slogans against the Chief Executive of Northern Areas Ghazanfar Ali Khan for creating unrest in the peaceful area by bringing his henchmen to intimidate the people and take forcible possession of the Sost Dry Port following a local court decision setting aside a stay order of a lower court against the former management of the Silk Route Dry Port Trust.
Locals were taken aback when the court order came at a time when the chairman and other members of the Board of Trustees were in Kashgar, China, to attend the joint Board meeting of directors with the Chinese counterparts.
Within minutes of the court order, the local administration was geared up for the forceful occupation of the port even though the court order did not envisage it. Quite surprisingly and going out of the way the local administration braced itself to use brute force to take over the port offices while the management was out of the country.
Mr Babar said it was heartening that the Federal Minister of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Qamar Zaman Kaira, had already issued necessary instructions to restrain the elements in the local administration from provoking a clash.
The PPP spokesperson said a thorough probe into the affairs of the Silk Route Dry Port Trust (SRDT) was necessary to redress the grievance of stakeholders who had made huge financial contributions for the setting up of the dry port trust. He said the PPP had been demanding detailed audit of the accounts of the Trust.
Courtesy: Daily DAWN http://dawn.com/2008/06/29/top16.htm
20 comments June 29, 2008
Op-Ed:Drugs, Guns and Northern Areas
by Aejaz Karim
Noor has pointed out a crucial issue of our society. We all must appreciate his effort to bring forth this striking dilemma. Interestingly we all know that these things are harmful and destructive stuff, but never stop ourselves from being hunted by this devil. Aside from the liquor coming from the very prosperous and developed friend the substance coming from the border areas of a ruined country is uprooting our financial and intellectual strengths. It is very unfortunate, indeed. Especially in context of Hunza and Gojal it is crucial to raise awareness about the intentions of these death merchants.
It is not that straight forward that people from down country, especially from NWFP have focused on our area as a potential market for their drug products. Drowning our material and financial resource is their secondary target while their primary aim is to destroy our human resource. I was astonished by going through a report prepared by an American journalist during the 1990s while the Soviet-Afghan war was in its last stage and “some strategists” in our country were putting their heads together to draw a new map for an “Islamic Afghanistan”. Fascinated by the future prospects they stretched the map of this new Afghanistan to the Xingjian providence of China and neighboring parts of central Asia. People living in between the borders of Afghanistan and China were thought to be stumbling blocks for their strategy. The report notes that the strategists devised plan to wear off the socio-economic structure of the area, Gilgit-Baltistan, through two things: Drug and Kalashnikov. This particular report discusses certain stunning facts with great detail. A deliberate destruction of the human and financial resources of the area was the bedrock of that particular plan. For this purpose they used some “bad guys” from NWFP to establish various groups and supply them both drugs and weapons to deal with the “others”. Mass migration from NWFP to various parts of Northern Areas was also encouraged by the then government which facilitated the free flow of drugs and guns to our area. Soon the environment of our city became full of the stink of gun-powder. Those bad guys enthusiastically enhanced this mission through various means. In order to get to the grassroots level they mainly used the services of various people including cobblers and barbers in various city and town centers. Within a short span of time they became very successful in creating sectarian violence and a strong network of drug suppliers in the main districts of Northern Areas of Pakistan. Youth were and are the special target group of this operation. We can see for the last few years the sectarian violence and wide spread drug consumption has badly downtrodden the socio-economic structure of the area. The wind of sectarian violence and target killings has swept away many icons from our areas. We lost many brilliant personalities due to the sectarian violence and are losing many more due to the drug abuse. Because of these unfortunate episodes a majority of the population has lost their love ones, property, belongings and above all hope to a better and prosperous future.
Unfortunately the rate of spending on drugs and weapons is higher than the spending on personal and social development. It is weakening the social fiber of our society. It is the time that our younger generation should come forward, deliberate over and raise awareness against this “dark strategy” devised for destroying our society. It is also important to recognize the wolves in sheep’s apparel among us. They could be found in every walk of life and every institutional setup. These death merchants are so powerful that they have penetrated the entire law enforcing agencies and those agencies have become their protectors and to a certain degree their supply chain. Let’s join hand and rise mass movement against drug abuse, because it is nothing more than destruction and devastation. Today the remainings of the same strategists are aggressively involved in furthering their past goals and objectives with special focus on our part of the world- on Hunza-Gojal. We can make a difference, yes we can.
N.B. The writer is associated with a U.S. Think Tank & Security organization in Washington, DC.
3 comments June 29, 2008
First meeting of Sino Trans and Sost Port Trust, held in Kashgar, China
PT Report
The first meeting of the Sost Port Trust and Sino Trans company took place in Kashgar, China, yesterday. Yang Zimin, head of the Sino – Trans company has assured the new cabinet of his full suppot, according to sources. The two groups have resolved to enhance the fraternal ties between China and Pakistan by increasing trade. The Sost Port Trust delegation comprised of Chairman Ali Afsar, Vice chairman Hoor Shah, directors Sultan Karim, Jan Alam, among others.
Various issues, including the recent ownership disputes, were discussed between the two grous and it has been agreed that the two will work collectively to facilitate trade between Pakistan and China, it is learnt. Gifts were also exchanged during the meeting.
1 comment June 28, 2008
KKH blocked at Sost to protest harassment
GILGIT/HUNZA, June 27: Hundreds of people including women and children staged a protest demonstration and blocked the Karakuram Highway at the Sost border town against what they called the coercive methods and highhandedness of Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Chief Executive Northern Area causing harassment to the people.
They blocked the Karakuram Highway, chanted slogans against Ghazanfar Ali Khan, District Council members Iman Shah and Raja Shehbaz Khan for “trying to create law and order situation in the peaceful region and damage the friendship between Pakistan and China.
Local community representatives said that while the chairman, and other Board members were in Kashghar to attend the joint Board of Directors meeting, the Chief Executive in collusion with the police and his cronies entered the Sost Dry Port premises forcibly after a local court vacated a stay against the former management which, however, did not envisage forcible occupation of the port in the absence of the present elected management.
Local community representatives said that the Ghazanfar group using their old tactics, thought it an opportune moment to seize the port offices while the present management was in China for important negotiations.
“The former director, Shehbaz, who is also member of District Council, came along with a group of youths and tried to run his jeep over the protesting women and children.
In the altercation with the people he was roughed up by the enraged people. According to Usman Younas, District Magistrate, Gilgit, Shehbaz was responsible for the incident as he used abusive language against the people and threatened them.
Mr Usman justified the heavy deployment of police and elite force in the area to protect Chinese nationals at the Sost Dry port and to avoid clash between the rival groups.
“The matter is subjudice but Ghazanfar wants possession of the port and this cannot be given till the court gives a final decision on the matter” he said.
Mr Usman said Ghazanfar Ali had left for China to attend the International Kashghar Trade Fair.
Meanwhile Pakistan Peoples Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn in Islamabad that the Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas has taken serious notice of the situation and directed the Northern Areas administration not to use any force against the people and maintain peace.
7 comments June 28, 2008
Editorial: The Golden Jubilee Games
Noor
The fabulous farewell given to members of the Pakistani squad for the Golden Jubilee Games, at Darkhana Jamat Khan – Karachi, was entertaining and inspiring. Men and women, young and old, all, stood and cheered the athletes as they introduced themselves and told us about the events that they would participate in, wearing the green jackets, bearing the word Paksitan, in the color of gold.
Cricket, soccer, volleyball, athletics, badminton and basket ball are some of the sporting events in which the Pakistani athletes would compete. A total of ninety one (91) athletes, both genders, had been selected from across Pakistan. Not surprisingly a very large number of the athletes belong to Gilgit – Baltistan and Chitral. I was glad to see Mr Jalal Shah, from Shishkat Gojal, as the coach of Pakistan’s basket ball team. And to my 
delight and pride Ms Joshan Ali Panah, from Gulmit Gojal, is a member of the female volley ball team. I could see and hear athletes from Ghizar, Hunza, Gilgit city, Chitral, Sindh, Punjab, Karachi and the frontier regions.
That a large number of the athlets belong to Gilgit – Baltistan and Chitral regions means that a lot of financial support has been rendered by the Jammat of South, from variuos sources. We all know that our athletes don’t have the financial capacity to travel abroad, even if they are extremely talented. This spirit of generosity and support is a sign of hope and confidence for all of us and perfectly inline with the themes of Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The games have started in Kenya, already and would continue for another week or so. Everyone is a winner in the games so let’s not worry a lot about the ‘winners’. We just hope and wish that the athetes, when they return to their respective communities, take the message of pluralism, progress, fraternity and love and inspire the rest of us who could not be part of this historical event. “Frontierless brotherhood”, may the dream come true!
1 comment June 26, 2008
Drugs: How safe is Hunza – Gojal!
by Noor
The world celebrates International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26th every year, striving to create a global society that is free of drug abuse. Drug abuse and illicit trafficking of drugs have emerged as a catastrophic trend in our society, as well. Every day young people start using drugs of various kinds and, in the process, destroy their own lives, the lives of their families, destroying the dream of creating a healthy and prosperous human society.
Alcoholism, sadly, has been destroying lives across our society. Cheap and unhealthy alcohol is smuggled from the People’s Republic of China and sold across Gilgit – Baltistan. At an average, while Khunjerab pass is open, approximately five hundred bottles of alcohol are sold in the border towns of Gojal Valley, according to people who have a keen eye on such affairs. A bottle costs somewhere between 350-500, on average and during the season, which runs for around six months, thousands of bottles of alcohol are consumed by men and children of all age. The law enforcing organizations not only turn a blind eye to this illegal trade they, at times, are also part of the business.
But ‘imported’ alcohol is not the only menace destroying our society. There are traditiaonl factories operating in central and lower Hunza, producing thousands of litters of ‘Desi’ alcohol and selling it to the consumers. Some efforts were made by the police officials in central and lower Hunza to curb the menace but no long term strategy seems to be in place.
Alcohol is not the only drug hollowing our society, however. Charas, nowadays, is also easily available and consumed by a growing number of young adults and youth. Charas reaches Gilgit - Baltistan from the NWFP, passing through the Karakuram Highway, under the eyes and nose of the law enforcing agencies. Truck drivers, cobblers, hair dressers – mostly belonging to the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), have introduced and are supplying this killer drug to the youth and young adults, alike.
There is a need to not only debate and take serious measrues to stop this systematic destruction of our society but also to aggressive campaign against the people and organizations behind the trade. Creating awareness among the children, youth, parents and other members of the society can help but it will never solve the problem.
Making the law makers and law enforcers realize their duties, and ensuring imposition of the state laws, in a stern and unbending manner, alone, can curb the evil in a systematic way.
7 comments June 26, 2008
ZONG launches services in parts of Gilgit – Baltistan
Press Release
ZONG, the first international brand of China Mobile the world’s largest mobile phone services provider, continued its rapid network expansion in the country by launching its services in the Northern Areas Pakistan, covering the cities of Gilgit, Hunza, Sost, Skardu, and Besham. The expansion is part of the company’s well chalked out plans to have the largest network coverage in the country. Chief Executive of NALA, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, was chief guest at the launching ceremony held at Serena hotel, in Gilgit city.
8 comments June 25, 2008
“Taare Zamin Par” – A critical analysis
by Reshma Parveen
The film “Taare Zameen Par” by Amir Khan has undoubtedly attracted the attention of educationists, teachers, parents, administrators and others interested in education. It is almost the first film, especially in Urdu/ Hindi speaking context, which may contribute to the educational theory and practice tremendously. A film can change the thinking, attitudes, behaviours, and practice of people much faster than any other technique.
The film gives some very important messages for parents and teachers alike. The role of the parents shown in the film is a typical role existing in our society, may be in a different form. For instance most fathers believe that they are responsible for earning money and therefore the internal responsibility of the house including child development is of the wife. This is a very dangerous notion, because the children may develop an indifferent attitude towards their fathers.
The film also shows a blaming attitude of the mother towards the child when she mentions that she has left 
her job because of him——here the child feels as if all the wrong happenings are because of him/her. Parents should be very careful and try not to make the child realize as if he/she is a burden on them, this affects the self-esteem of the child. A mother being with their children all the time is not necessarily giving quality time rather a mother who even spends less time but is of quality is much more important. One very important and critical situation which is presented in the film is comparison of the two brothers——a reality existing in our society. Many of the parents as well as teachers I have come across depend on this notion of comparison in order to either check students progress or to see who is more able. Children are very different from each other, even twins have got different abilities which needs to be tackled differently. Praising one child infront of the other and stating that the other is so duffer, creates many psychological problem for the child as it stops the personality development, affects the self-esteem which many lead to failure in life.
The role of the traditional teachers shown is an eye opener to our society. We should move away with it but on the other hand the role of the modern teacher played is also of a very ideal state. Can we imagine this role of the teacher in our schools? Nevertheless, the modern role of the teacher has so many messages embedded in it. Firstly, catering for individual differences is an important aspect of teaching and learning. We generally believe that all students have same ability in a class and teaching one students is same for all therefore whatever one student learns in the class should be learnt by all equally well—–is this a right belief? Even I have heard teachers blaming students “so and so stands first in the class and learns all material I give, do I teach him/her differently?” Each child needs are different and treating them all equal is ineffective teaching. Secondly, the teachers’ attitude with the students is friendly and unthreatening, therefore the students are able to follow the instruction and share their problems through different means. Thirdly, each child has got his/her potentialities and they only need opportunities and guidance to bring them out. In the traditional class the teachers was to decide what to draw and paint but in the modern class the teacher gave them a freedom to draw whatever they want. This gave an honour to their work and thus raised the self-esteem of the children.
At one place when the teacher was asking some questions regarding the names of some scientists, contradicts with some psychological aspects of teaching. For instance this class was of 9/10-years old students and the concepts which he was asking were very abstract. Piaget (a psychologist) argues that at this age children cannot understand abstract thinking and thus it develops rote leaning. The questioning style and not giving time to think is another contradicting point.
Some of the points which we should examine in our context are:
- The context of the film is very different from ours—-they being in an urban situation and we in a rural context—–therefore coping things straightaway might be dangerous.
- The class which the teacher (Amir Khan) teaches is a specific class of “Art” it may not be generalized in all subjects and disciplines
- It is also possible that the film affects the children/students watching it, negatively, because children idealize such situations—–the teacher, the way he behaves, the school, the facilities—–and when they do not find it in reality in their context may affect them. My own 3-years old son one day comes from school and asks me “mama! Why my teacher does not sing ‘bum bum boolay…’” and I was stuck, how to answer to this little boy. Therefore we should be very careful about the audience if we want to show it. Thus the film is more focused for parents and teachers rather than students.
Anyhow it is a very interesting and intensively researched movie and a person related to a film industry may bring more changes in understanding and practices of teaching than educators. It is a good contribution towards teacher education and parental education. I recommend to watch the film and enjoy it but with a critical eye.
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The contributor is currently pursuing M Ed. degree from Nortre Dame Institute of Education, Karachi.
6 comments June 25, 2008
Education for Peace
Early childhood educational development (ECED) is one of the most important and tremendous contribution of the psychologists and educationists of the 20th century, which exposed and got popularity in the twenty first century.
ECED is associated with pre-primary or nursery settings, focusing on the cognitive development and socialization of children (3-8 years). Early childhood is defined as a period from conception to eight years. The emphasis is placed upon the holistic development of the child. It provides opportunity for self-reliance, thinking, reasoning and boost up their self-esteem. ECED helps children’s to improve in communication skills, improved nutrition and hygiene.
Most of ECED planners and implementers believe in the ways of execution or how part of ECED. The points given below are based on many good practices of Professional Development Center North (PDCN) an affiliated organization of the Aga Khan University –Institute for Educational development (AKU-IED). It is viable through supportive policy environment.
Supportive Policy Environment
The supportive policy environment contributes in ECED execution and makes a difference for the holistic development of children. Governance and management focus on sensitization of the stakeholders, organizing conferences and seminars, caring competent teachers and parental involvement by ensuring the high scope approach of active learning.
3 comments June 24, 2008
4th Kashgar Central & South Asian Commodity Fair, soon
by Asghar Khan
Gilgit, June 24: The 4th Kashgar Central & South Asia Commodity Fair is being held in the Technology and Culture Center of Kashgar, from June 28 to July 2, 2008. The participants in this fair will get opportunities to negotiate about commodity trade and projects of economic and Technical Cooperation between Pakistan and China. The Northern Areas Administration and Northern Areas Chamber of Commerce Industry are participating in this fair with a view of further enhancing the trade tides.
The fair will see exhibition of commodities including organic oil and food products, electronic equipments, machinary, household appliances, raw materials for variuos products, textile products, handicrafts and minerals, to name a few. It will also open up vistas for business networking, exchange of product ideas, trade ideas and business projects.
Seminars, conferences and workshops will also be held during the trade fair to orient the traders and business community with trade opportunities existing in the region.
Add comment June 24, 2008
Mulberry: Fruit of the season in Gojal valley
Photo: Zulfiqar Ali Khan. June 23, 2008, Gulmit
14 comments June 24, 2008
Yurk (Barley): waiting for Chinir!
Photo by: Zulfiqar Ali Khan, June 23, 2008, Gulmit
6 comments June 24, 2008
“Taare Zameen Par” shown to Students and Teachers
by: Zulfiqar Ali Khan
Hunza, June 22: The famous film “Taare Zameen Par”, produced by Aamir Khan was shown to the students of Al-Amyn Model School, F.G Boys and Girls High Schools, Gulmit. The show was organised by Cultural Activities Committee of F.G Boys High School, Gulmit in collaboration with gojal.net and Pamir Times. A large number of students and teachers were present at the hall of the school to watch the movie.
Taare Zameen Par (TZP), a Hindi movie based on the story of a 10-year old Ishaan suffering from dyslexia, which has triggered action to change the trend of traditional education methodologies in developing countries. The parents and teachers of Ishaan fail to diagnose his problem and expect him to be, like other normal children. He needed the love and care of an art teacher to become a hero at the end of the school year and also the film.
Taare Zameen Par is a must-see film for all teachers, parents and school students both for educational and entertainment purposes.
9 comments June 23, 2008
The traditional Ginani festival celebrated in Hunza valley
A bitan (shaman) went into trance at a Ginani Festival in Karimabad to communicate with the fairies (Lorimer collection 1923)
by: Zulfiqar Ali Khan
Hunza, June 23: The traditional “Ginani’’ festival has been celebrated in Central and Lower parts of Hunza valley, with traditional zeal and fervour. Main gatherings were organised in Altit and Aliabad villages. The local community has performed rituals at central places and also performed traditional dances on local tunes. Special traditional dish locally known as Dirum Pitti has been prepared to mark the festival.
Before the construction of KKH, the local community was totally dependant on subsistence farming and during the winter seasons most of the families were also facing shortages of foods. This festival was thus celebrated to mark the beginning of new harvesting season. During the time, when Hunza was an independent principality, these rituals were performed at royal courtyard. This event is called Ginani and Chineer in Hunza, Strublah in Baltistan and Ganoni in Gilgit.
1 comment June 23, 2008
Workshop on “The role of women in current economic crisis” concludes in Gulmit
by: Zulfiqar Ali Khan
Hunza, June 22: The one-day workshop on “The role of women in current economic and financial crisis” has been concluded in Gulmit, Gojal. The workshop was organized jointly by Ladies Volunteer Corps and Women Activities Committee (WAC) in the wake of the current economic crisis in the country.
About 30 ladies volunteers and Guiders actively participated in group works, presentations and plenary discussion facilitated by Bibi Nigar, Captain Ladies Volunteer Corps and Office bearers of WAC.
1. What is Budget? How to formulate household budget?
2. The role of women in current financial and economic crisis.
3. Advantages of rules and regulation formulated by local institutions.
4. What types of rules and regulations are needed in the wake of current economic crisis.
5. What role, the women can play in implementation of rules and regulation?
6. How to reduce marriage expenses according to seasons?
7. What role, the women can play in increasing the household income?
At the end, it was agreed, to strictly implement the rules and regulations, formulated by local institutions, in order to avoid further crisis in the future.
6 comments June 23, 2008
