Wel Coming the Aga Khan – Preparations start in Chitral
CHITRAL: The followers of Prince Karim Aga Khan donated 400 cattle (yaks, goats, sheep and cows) as well as precious carpets and handmade items to Darbar Fund to express joy at visit of their spiritual leader to Chitral that is expected in mid-November.
These cattle were sold at Booni and the fund was deposited with Darbar Fund. MNA from Chitral Shahzada Muhauiddin was chief guest on the occasion of cattle sale point (mela) while MPA Ghulam Muhammad, Tehsil Nazim Mastuj Shahzada Sikandar and other notables of the area were also present on the occasion. Thousands of people visited the mela.
This is the first time that all expenditures for Prince Karim Aga Khan’s visit to Chitral would be borne by the local faithful. The cattle and other items were donated on the appeal of Sardar Hussain, convener, Darbar Fund, Chitral.
All expenditures of the visit would be borne by the Darbar Fund and the spiritual leader and 49th Imam of the Ismaili community would be given a tumultuous welcome on his arrival. Sardar Hussain, regional convener of Darbar Fund, said their target for the fund was Rs10 million in which some six million had been collected from local Ismailis. He said uniformed volunteers had arrived from Boroghul and Yarkhun valley, hundreds kilometres away from here. A handicrafts and local fruit-exhibition show was also arranged side by side with the mela.
Kaneez Fatma, coordinator of Meraman Project, funded by empowerment through creative integration, had arranged the exhibition. She said some 380 local women were trained in different handicrafts and marketing.
