International Mountain Day passes unnoticed in the land of mountains
December 12, 2011
1 417 2 minutes read
Farooq Khan
Gilgit, December 11: International mountain day passed quietly in Gilgit-Baltistan, one of the most mountainous regions of the world. Neither govt nor any private organization, or NGOs, held any functions to mark the day.
The NGOs that are collecting funds in the name of hills are misleading the people only by holding occasional photo sessions. Similarly, the federal and provincial govt are also neglecting their duties and nothing is being done for promotion of tourism and awareness-raising about preservation of mountain biodiversity in the region.
It is pertinent to mention that foreign organizations and tourists are playing important role to promote the tourism opportunities of GB in the world.
Islamabad Correspondent adds – Chief Minister of Gilgit – Baltsitan, Syed Mehdi Shah, participated in an event organized by PTDC on the occasion of International Mountain Day in the federal capital. He claimed that his government was making all out efforts to promote tourism in the mountainous Gilgit – Baltistan region.
CM Gilgit - Baltsitan, Mehdi Shah, addressing a ceremony held by PTDC in Islamabad to commemorate the International Mountain Day. His government has failed to improve the law and order situation in GB, creating hurdles for promotion of tourism.
Observers and analysts, however, believe that due to deterioration of law and order situation in the region, the flow of tourists has dwindled further during the last three years.
A tour operator, who did not want to be identified, told Pamir Times that GB is no more a priority area for global tourists, ‘because of the law and order situation’. He particularly mentioned the targeted killings taking place in Gilgit city. Owner of the Tour Operating company, ironically, requested Pamir Times to not post news of violence in GB on the website. “Majority of our tourists keep in touch with GB through Pamir Times”, he said, “so you should not post the news of protests and killings because that discourages tourists”.
The region’s infrastructure is also in a dilapidated condition due to the 2010 floods that played havoc with lives and land across Gilgit – Baltistan. The Karakuram Highway is in shambles, and practically the time for reaching Gilgit from Islamabad has increased by at least 10 hours, on average.
The PIA operated flights are down almost half of the year for one or other reason, adding to the frustration of domestic passengers, as well as Pakistani and foreign tourists.
Participating in walks and giving speeches, while important, can not be an alternative for improving the law and order situation and the infrastructure. The leaders of GB and the federal government need to take the issue seriously because a large number of KIU graduates are jobless because of lack of opportunities. If the situation persists, there can be a lot of social tension in the region, making the work of governance even more difficult.
Full Marks and First Class Performance accolades to Gilgit-Batistan’s Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah for keeping the International Mountain Day spirit alive for G-B even if it had to be done in Islamabad — and perhaps it is just as well that it was, indeed, done there.
He brought a message to the Powers that Be in the Centre of Power. While it is understandable why Farooq Khan, in his well written piece, expressed the frustrations that he did we must not be too negative about the challenges facing NGOs and village organizations and others to celebrate International Mountain Day, which is honoured at one of the most ridiculous times of the year – in December — for our area.
And I say “our area” with justification. I have been a member of the Gilgit community since 2004 and have worked alongside members of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan (WWF-P) and its Ministry of Environment initiative the Pakistan Wetlands Programme (PWP) since 2007, along with projects at Karakorum International University (KIU) and local village organisations. I consider Gilgit my home and can state from a position of knowledge that December is a difficult time in Gilgit-Baltistan for many reasons.
Usually the weather for a good event turn out is not at all accommodating, schools are undergoing year-end final examinations, people are concerned about keeping warm, the sun seems to set at in places at 2.30pm and people, frankly, are worried about things other than the very things which seem to be shutting them indoors — those mountains and accompanying weather — rather than celebrating them outdoors.
Exactly the same can be said for World Wetlands Day which is in early February and which is another challenging time of the year for Gilgit-Baltistan. But the WWF-P and PWP have tried to have conscious-raising events then because the days at least seem a little longer, and just maybe it is a little bit warmer, and even psychologically brighter, and children and their teachers are not having exams.
What Gilgit-Baltistan must do is cast off this need to the think that it has to celebrate some nebulous “international” day, or days, and create those which are good for our ( and surely I am a member of this community) times of the year. Never mind what the ‘goras’ do, or what some organisation in New York or Geneva or elsewhere has decreed. We have to do what is good for us.
Let us work together from Teru to Khapalu, Misgar to Astore — and everywhere in between — to and create our own Gilgit-Baltistan Mountain Day, perhaps in May, when our mountains are coming alive again with receding snow-lines and wild-flowers in bloom.
The same can be said for a G-B Wetlands Day when such fabulous places as Khelti Lake, Uttar Lake, Shandur, Sadpara, and Sheosar lakes — and many others — around our region are not only accessible but serve as yet another aspect which defines Gilgit-Baltistan and its unique beauty and fragile eco-system.
And, frankly, we should be saying the Urdu, Shina,Waki, Koir, Brushiski, Balti, and Chitrali equivalents of “Bah, Humbug” to the mistaken need to entice foreign visitors to Gilgit-Baltistan. If they visit, wonderful and let us be as friendly and hospitable as possible. But it is far more important to let Pakistanis from other parts of the country know what our region has to offer, and how much a part both historically, and intrinsically, it is to Pakistan.
Instead, the emphasis seems to be concentrating on those few and invariably transient ‘ghrer-malkis’ who may not remember Gilgit- Baltistan from some other place on their east to west or vice – versa peregrinations. And do they really have more money to spend than Pakistanis? Usually they are watching every rupee because of the distances they are travelling.
And by looking to Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan for the answers to difficult questions such as employment for KIU graduates rather than looking to seasonal foreigners for assistance it will be discovered that solutions will come from within, not from without.
Shukra Allah, so far the Law and Order situation in Gilgit-Baltistan has been better than anywhere else in Pakistan, and it is up to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan to keep it that way and, Insha’Allah, they will. But negativity only breeds negativity and G-B must recognise that the glass is not half empty, but half-full — and it is also up to us to top it up.
So Full Marks, again, to Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah for at least trying to honour International Mountain Day, despite a myriad of challenges both foreign and domestic that he, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan face. And let us work together to create our own Gilgit-Baltistan Mountain and Wetlands days, and others, so that with one voice we may say Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan, Zindabad!
Full Marks and First Class Performance accolades to Gilgit-Batistan’s Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah for keeping the International Mountain Day spirit alive for G-B even if it had to be done in Islamabad — and perhaps it is just as well that it was, indeed, done there.
He brought a message to the Powers that Be in the Centre of Power. While it is understandable why Farooq Khan, in his well written piece, expressed the frustrations that he did we must not be too negative about the challenges facing NGOs and village organizations and others to celebrate International Mountain Day, which is honoured at one of the most ridiculous times of the year – in December — for our area.
And I say “our area” with justification. I have been a member of the Gilgit community since 2004 and have worked alongside members of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan (WWF-P) and its Ministry of Environment initiative the Pakistan Wetlands Programme (PWP) since 2007, along with projects at Karakorum International University (KIU) and local village organisations. I consider Gilgit my home and can state from a position of knowledge that December is a difficult time in Gilgit-Baltistan for many reasons.
Usually the weather for a good event turn out is not at all accommodating, schools are undergoing year-end final examinations, people are concerned about keeping warm, the sun seems to set at in places at 2.30pm and people, frankly, are worried about things other than the very things which seem to be shutting them indoors — those mountains and accompanying weather — rather than celebrating them outdoors.
Exactly the same can be said for World Wetlands Day which is in early February and which is another challenging time of the year for Gilgit-Baltistan. But the WWF-P and PWP have tried to have conscious-raising events then because the days at least seem a little longer, and just maybe it is a little bit warmer, and even psychologically brighter, and children and their teachers are not having exams.
What Gilgit-Baltistan must do is cast off this need to the think that it has to celebrate some nebulous “international” day, or days, and create those which are good for our ( and surely I am a member of this community) times of the year. Never mind what the ‘goras’ do, or what some organisation in New York or Geneva or elsewhere has decreed. We have to do what is good for us.
Let us work together from Teru to Khapalu, Misgar to Astore — and everywhere in between — to and create our own Gilgit-Baltistan Mountain Day, perhaps in May, when our mountains are coming alive again with receding snow-lines and wild-flowers in bloom.
The same can be said for a G-B Wetlands Day when such fabulous places as Khelti Lake, Uttar Lake, Shandur, Sadpara, and Sheosar lakes — and many others — around our region are not only accessible but serve as yet another aspect which defines Gilgit-Baltistan and its unique beauty and fragile eco-system.
And, frankly, we should be saying the Urdu, Shina,Waki, Koir, Brushiski, Balti, and Chitrali equivalents of “Bah, Humbug” to the mistaken need to entice foreign visitors to Gilgit-Baltistan. If they visit, wonderful and let us be as friendly and hospitable as possible. But it is far more important to let Pakistanis from other parts of the country know what our region has to offer, and how much a part both historically, and intrinsically, it is to Pakistan.
Instead, the emphasis seems to be concentrating on those few and invariably transient ‘ghrer-malkis’ who may not remember Gilgit- Baltistan from some other place on their east to west or vice – versa peregrinations. And do they really have more money to spend than Pakistanis? Usually they are watching every rupee because of the distances they are travelling.
And by looking to Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan for the answers to difficult questions such as employment for KIU graduates rather than looking to seasonal foreigners for assistance it will be discovered that solutions will come from within, not from without.
Shukra Allah, so far the Law and Order situation in Gilgit-Baltistan has been better than anywhere else in Pakistan, and it is up to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan to keep it that way and, Insha’Allah, they will. But negativity only breeds negativity and G-B must recognise that the glass is not half empty, but half-full — and it is also up to us to top it up.
So Full Marks, again, to Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah for at least trying to honour International Mountain Day, despite a myriad of challenges both foreign and domestic that he, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan face. And let us work together to create our own Gilgit-Baltistan Mountain and Wetlands days, and others, so that with one voice we may say Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan, Zindabad!