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Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter10

Post -Lowari Chitral -The Way Forward

The opening of Lowari tunnel is the dream comes true for Chitralis. At last the killer pass has been humbled giving way to unprecedented jubilation through out Chitral. For Chitralis it is a clear message that nothing is insurmountable in the face of human ingenuity, determination and persistence. It is not the time to claim credit but to prepare Chitralis to meet the challenges ahead. Many seminars and conferences have been held for this purpose but what is lacking is tangible action on ground. While bemoaning the threats to our way of life, economy, environment, culture and so on, we have yet to come up with action plan to minimize the threats and maximize the benefits.

The biggest threat to post- Lowari Chitral is the likelihood of its economy being taken over by outsiders. The Chitrali mindset of becoming rich overnight does not augur well for the economy of scale, competitiveness quality and salesmanship that the dynamics of the emerging global economy would bring to Chitral. No meaningful efforts are underway to instill entrepreneurial skills in Chitralis. The mindset of subsistence living has yet to be replaced by higher aspirations. Mutual trust, which is so essential to develop partnerships and pooling of resources is simply lacking. There is no realization that documentation can be the substitute for lack of trust. It is true that Chitralis can not be entirely blamed for this mindset, as it has grown through a historical process which bred distrust, suspicion and exploitation as instruments of control in the hands of rulers.

The biggest challenge therefore is to change this traditional mindset and to unleash the spirit of enterprise, innovation, risk taking and adventure among Chitralis. Govt and civil society organizations will have to revisit their development strategies and make them result driven instead of activity based .They will have to build capacity and give skills to the people instead of cash in the name of development funds which have made them lethargic, parasitical and greedy.

The second challenge to post -Lowari Chitral emanates from the environment. I agree with Captain Sirajul Mulk that if the problem of alternate fuel is not solved, Chitral will be denuded of is forests in about five years time. Had we resisted the settlement of 50,000 Afghan refugees in Chitral, the process of deforestation could have been slowed down. But the lacks of awareness, long term vision and courage incapacitated the people to challenge those who had vested interests in bringing Afghan refugees to Chitral. As a result of this apathy forests and wild life are fast disappearing in Chitral, despite efforts for conservation by global NGOS. There is little realization that without forests and wild life, human life can not be sustained and our great potential for tourism will wither away.

It is a measure of our indifference or greed that statutory provisions to protect the natural environments have yet to be implemented. The Govt. of NWFP notification 1975 provides for state control of glaciers, pastures, forests, barren land, mountains and river beds. This constitutes 97% land mass of Chitral and the Govt. is under obligation to regulate use of this land by the people in the catchments areas. The failure of the Govt. to play its role has pushed Chitral to the brink of disaster. Pet and wild animals have run out of fodder in low laying areas and go up to glacier areas to feed resulting in emission of carbon and methane gas which cause melting of glaciers and consequent flooding. The encroachments of riverbeds leave no space for floods to pass and as a result Chirtal faces losses of life and property due to frequent flooding. During the past 100 years temperature in Chitral has risen by 10 degree Fahrenheit and during the next 50 years it will double creating serious problems of water shortage. With a view to meeting this challenge forest conservation, reforestation and fuel substitution should be taken in hand urgently.

The problem of floods is further compounded by reckless un-mechanized mining in the mountains. The destruction of natural habitat, land erosion, floods and disappearing vegetation call for urgent action. Such actions should include implementation of 1975 Notification, land management, widening of river beds, regulating mining to protect the environment, reforestation, fuel substitution through hydel and solar energy, conservation of wild life, solid waste management, town planning and glacier management.

This brings us to the core issue of governance. In the context of Chitral government is perceived to be the other side of the divide. People have always remained at receiving end with no idea of having naturally ordained rights. State largesse has been given to them as handouts and charity. Self sustaining development is a buzz word but can not be seen in action. This mindset, which is a historical hangover, has not been changed. The political leadership either out of expediency or self interest prefers to maintain the status quo. They do not have the vision and capacity to change things and manage them. The DCO of Chitral is on record as having said that development funds allocated for Chitral are surrendered unspent due to the inefficiency or indifference of local leadership. Civil bureaucracy is not functioning to its full capacity because their political bosses do not have the interest and skills to make them work. Making Govt. employees rolling stones further demoralizes them. It is therefore, necessary that capacity of elected representatives may be enhanced and the civil bureaucracy made accountable to District Assembly and District ombudsman, who has yet to be appointed as per Local Govt. Ordinance.

Yet another challenge that post- Lowari Chitral face, is in the realm of culture. Much has been made out of it without realizing that culture is organic. It will wither away if it is unable to meet challenges. Culture consists of human thought and its material manifestations. It is not static. Its essence remains the same but its form keeps on changing to meet emerging challenges. The essence of Chitrali culture is simplicity, hospitality, honesty and life style compatible with natural surroundings, which are universal in nature. This culture is already under threat. Simplicity has been superseded by ostentation, honesty by greed and impunity, hospitality by self interest and natural life style by fashion. So there is no need to cry over spilt milk.

Mercifully this tendency has not filtered down to the grass roots level. Only the upper class is guilty of these sins. So the process is reversible through meaningful efforts including empowerment of people, involving common men in cultural activities, marketing of cultural products and building institutions to promote and protect culture and giving sense of pride to the people through role modeling.

The greatest asset of Chitral is strong human bond and tolerance. Despite efforts of rulers to divide Chitral into sects, ethnicities and regions, Chitralis refused to be divided. Even the triggered incidents of 1982 failed to divide Chitral. The pains were soon overcome and agent provocateurs isolated but have yet to be defeated. They are still able to deprive Chitral of global reach in education and mindset. Their psychological grip is yet to be broken. With the empowerment of the people, this barrier can be broken and Chitral put on the road to progress. It is a measure of our resilience and humanity that Chitral happens to be one of the most peaceful areas in Pakistan, where Muslim sects and Kalash tribes live side by side in complete harmony. The rest of Pakistan can learn from us. This culture of tolerance derives its origin and strength from our Central Asian Sufi traditions, which Zia-ul-Haq tried to destroy. It is time that we revived our cultural links with CentralAsia through exchange of cultural delegations and introduction of Persian language in our syllabus. Before 1977 Persian was a compulsory subject in our educational institution from class six onwards. Communication links, especially roads, via Dorah and Baroghul passes are the needs of the hour.

Poverty and subsistence living are challenges that Chitral will have to face in the most pressing manner in the post- Lowari scenario. Already there is considerable hue and cry that Chitrali lands are being sold for the asking price. The land purchasers are either businessmen or those who want to escape from areas where there are lawlessness. These outsiders pose potential threat to our peaceful environment. The possibility of miscreants entering Chitral in disguise can not be ruled out and we have to be on guard. The demand for legislation to prevent land sale runs counter to fundamental human rights provided in the constitution which guarantee freedom of movement, residence and trade. Unless the problem of poverty is addressed, the people can not be prevented from selling land.

Another disturbing phenomenon is the advent of outside labourers in Chitral. Unless the demand for easy money is eradicated and honest labour highlighted, Chitralis can not be persuaded to join the labour force. Dignity of labour, which is at the heart of Islam, is simply lacking in our public psyche. A Chitrali prefers to sell his land instead of doing menial job to make a living. Outside Chitral they do any work for living but in Chitral they become choosy without having capacity or ability for the job. It is true that the upcoming hardships will teach them the hard way but then it would have been too late. So we must initiate efforts to change this mindset and make people work for honest living.

These are some of the challenges that we have to overcome to be able to move forward. Last but not the least we will have to improve our education system. In knowledge society, only those nations can survive whose education system can give them global reach. We need a university of world standard. We need good teachers. We need to develop schools as learning communities; we need to eliminate booty mafias in our exam system. We have to unlock human mind and make them challenge the existing mindset to unleash our energies for innovation and development. We are extremely talented people with positive instinct but the keys of our mental locks have been stolen from us which need to be retrieved now before it is too late.

Islamuddin,

Chitral

17 March 09.

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter9

Chitral a Strategic Gateway: Views and Reviews -VI

The previous column of Views and Reviews covered strategy for socio-economic development of Chitral which was the third paper of the subject seminar. The paper embodied a number of clear messages for a way forward in post Lawari tunnel scenario. For me highly important ones were two ideas of the speaker that “the people of Chitral need to take the initiative to preserve their uniqueness, while exploiting the many opportunities that come in the wake of the opening of the Lawari pass” and secondly “the light lies in the people of Chital and how they view their identity and culture. Economics and planning will follow naturally”. After Shehzada Masoodul Mulk had concluded his thought provoking discourse, the seminar organizers had yet another speaker who was community development expert by profession, equipped with an extensive experience in Rural Development and his repertoire of knowledge was a fine mix of local, national and international best practices. He was Mr. Shah Karez Khan who did his Masters from Peshawar University and Diploma in International Rural Planning and Development from Canada. Possessed a unique over 30 years’ experience in planning and management of rural development projects. Extensively travelled as development professional participating in various national and international conferences and seminars. Worked with international organizations like the AKDN, IUCN and USAID in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Before inviting the distinguished speaker to the podium, the anchor person highlighted some of the emerging questions relating to the strategic importance of Chitral; comprising (1) what significance the geographic location of Chitral occupies with respect to geo-political situation in the region? (2) what are the prospects of reviving historical linkages, border trade and strategic routes between Chitral and the adjoining regions? (3) what is the importance of socio-cultural harmony and sense of mutual co-existence as strategic assets of Chitral? (4) how can Lawari tunnel route - become a multinational asset? and (5) what strategies and institutional responses are needed in developing Chitral as a strategic gateway?

Mr. Shah Karez Khan’s paper “Chitral a Strategic Gateway” outlined the geopolitical importance of Chitral as being strategically located and enjoying historic ties with Afghanistan, China and the Central Asian States. It not only provided the shortest and safest trade route to Afghanistan and other Central Asian States but also shared its culture with these countries. Despite the fluctuating law and order situation in the neighbouring Afghanistan and other parts of NWFP, Chitral enjoyed peace and social harmony. The paper argued that the strategic location and peaceful environment enhanced importance of Chitral as a “Strategic Gateway” between the South and Central Asian Sates. This importance has further increased in the wake of opening of Lawari Tunnel which will not only provide all-weather access between Chitral and other parts of Pakistan, but will also link the adjoining regions.

Historically Chitral remained under the influence of various rulers, each period leaving its imprints on the local culture. The recorded history mentions six periods which give us a feel of the strategic importance of Chitral. These were (1) the Persian Empire which was extended to Chitral during 400 BC with strongly established cultural traits and lingual influence to the extent that Persian remained the official language in Chitral until 1950s. (2) The Kushan rule, which was established by Kanishka in the second century all over Northern India and extending beyond Pamirs upto Khutan. (3) The Chinese rule from 4th to the 8th century. (4) The Kalash rule, established by the invading Kalash from Afghanistan in the 11th century AD in southern Chitral up to Barenis village. The upper parts of Chitral were under another chief Sumalik. (5) The Rais family ruled over Chitral for about three hundred years. (6) The Katur family which succeeded the Rais family in 1595 ruled Chitral till it acceded to independent Pakistan. The British interests in Chitral developed during this rule in the late 19th century, when Major John Bidulph of the Indian Royal Army visited Chitral in 1876 and reported to the government of India, about its importance. This resulted in a friendship between the British and the then rulers of Chitral.

Chitral valley has also been a trade route from ancient times particularly for the trading of silk from China and carpets from the Central Asian countries to the sub continent. During the Afghan crisis of the 1980s, Chitral provided the market place for northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan. In the world of today, the importance of this route further increases with the opening of Gwadar deep sea port. This port with its unique location opposite to the Strait of Hormuz and at the mouth of the Persian Gulf will serve as a strategic gateway to the Gulf and European countries. Pakistan also seeks to increase exports to Afghanistan and to the CARs. It has already been decided to establish warehouses at Peshawar and Quetta and an export centre in Islamabad. Chitral valley therefore offers a much safer and the shortest route from the CARs and China to the strategically located port of Gwadar.
Of the dozens passes which lead from Chitral valley to adjoining regions, the following three routes are considered to be the most significant for trade and for linking with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) and China:

• Boroghil Pass, the most important strategic route located at a height of 3801 meters above sea level, lies at the junction of borders with the Wakhan territory of Afghanistan, the Northern Areas of Pakistan and China. This route has been used for trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan in the past. Tajikistan is separated from Chitral by the Afghan territory of Wakhan that is barely 20 kilometres wide making it the shortest land link with Central Asia. The area links Afghanistan with Pakistan in the south, Tajikistan in the north and China in the east. The Wakhan – Broghil route has two advantages over other routes; one, it is much safer, shorter and passes over relatively lower height as against the one passing through the central parts of Afghanistan to connect CARs with Pakistan, and two, it branches off to the Northern Areas over Shandur pass linking with the Karakoram Highway at Gilgit.

• Durah Pass, at the height of 4570 meters, crosses into the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan through the Lotkuh valley of Chitral. This route was extensively used for trading of essential commodities from Chitral market and carpets and precious stones from Afghanistan to other parts of Pakistan during the Russian occupation. This pass opens in June and closes in November. It links Chitral with Zebak and Ishkashim districts in Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. From Ishkashim Bridge it can be linked with Tajikistan.

• Shandur Pass connects Chitral to the Northern Areas of Pakistan at the height of 3732 meters above sea level. This route has gained greater significance for its close proximity to the Karakorum Highway; traders from Chitral have already started benefiting from the Chinese trade in Gilgit through the Shandur Pass. Currently the road is narrow and not sufficient for international trade.

Chitral as a trade route has significance in view of the recent geopolitical situation in the region. The security situation in the tribal areas of Pakistan and in the southern and eastern Afghanistan is volatile. The areas adjacent to Chitral are currently hot spots. The social harmony and peace are considered as strategic asset of Chitral. Chitral is the only safest place in the NWFP under the present circumstances. The communities in Chitral adhere to two Islamic traditions (Sunni and Shia Imami Ismaili) with a third Kalash minority. All these sects have generally been living peacefully. Despite the turmoil in its surroundings, Chitral has remained peaceful to this day and a thoughtful strategy will be required by the government and local authorities to retain this peaceful environment in the wake of Lawari Tunnel opening.

The speaker after brief analysis of situation stressed on a few major points as strategies to follow in post Lawari tunnel opening:
• Revival of external cultural and trade ties with CARs and China. As observed the extremist elements exploit poverty and easily motivate the poor to follow their creed and cause. Often the unemployed and frustrated youth are vulnerable to exploitation of the sort. On the other hand, economic development is seen as having the answer to offset such tendencies. Pakistan government must work with its neighbours such as China, Afghanistan, and the Central Asian Republics to revive the old cultural and trade relations in the region.
• Extension of Lawari project. There will be little benefit of the Lawari Tunnel for the communities unless the internal network of valley roads is in good order. For this purpose all valley roads of Chitral have to be widened, improved and linked to Lawari Highway. Lawari-Shandur road has to be widened and linked with the Karakorum Highway over the Shandur Pass to link Chitral to northern China. Cross border road either from Broghil or Dorah Pass must be constructed to link Chitral with the CARs. Sufficient safeguards must be put in place against trading of illicit items.
• In tandem with the construction of cross border road link, there is also need to connect Chitral with the regional capital cities of the CARs, Afghanistan and Kashghar through air link. It will be a saner option to link Chitral with Dushambe, Bishkek, Gilgit, and Kashghar by air. Chitral airport can be improved and there are ideal alternative locations for airfield construction.
The worthy speaker concluded his paper with the note that with the opening of Lawari Tunnel, the historic ties of Chitral with the CARs including Afghanistan and China will be revived and the inhabitants of this isolated valley see an economic boom while treading upon the path of sustainable development.

Tariq Mehmood,

Islamabad

10 March 09

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter8

Strategy For Socio-Economic Development Of Chitral: Views And Reviews

My previous column, Views and Reviews–IV, covered the subject of environmental issues in post Lawari Tunnel scenario, which was the second paper of the seminar. The paper concluded with the note that construction of Lawari Tunnel, as one of the major milestones in the history of Chitral, is welcomed by all. However, the people expect that it should not be allowed to bring along terrorists instead of tourists to the piece of land characterized by peace, tranquillity and satisfaction of the highest degree with all its highest standards. No doubt the tunnel was vital for better communication, yet the socio-economic safeguards and environmental risk management is even more vital for the survival of the indigenous people of Chitral.

After a short break for refreshment, when the seminar venue was full packed with participants, the organizers had a speaker whose analytical views were admirable and oral presentation was simply outstanding. The paper was a combination of some historical realities, profound understanding of deep rooted problems, a clear vision for the way forward and above all sophisticated episteme and thorough wisdom of an accomplished development practitioner and versatile writer no other than Shahzada Masoodul Mulk, who is presently Cheif Executive Officer of Sarhad Rural Support Programme. Is a man of great profile, who received education from famous institutions like Lawrence College, Edwardes College and Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. Holds Masters in Business Administration and in Rural Development. Was awarded the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship and spent a year at the Lyndon Johnson School of Public Affairs at Austin Texas, and attended numerous courses on development at American University Washington, Economic Institute Boulder, and Wye College UK. He served in AKRSP Chitral for about fifteen years and as a consultant with a number of international organisations. Has published work on development with organizations like UNDP, FAO, ICIMOD and IIED. Before inviting the distinguished speaker to the podium, the anchor person highlighted some of the emerging questions relating to socio-economic issues in post Lawari tunnel scenario, that related to the opportunities and challenges for socio-economic development which building of Lowari tunnel throws up; the perceived threats which need to be addressed; the kind of strengths that the Chitral society has, to mitigate the negative effect of the threats as well to exploit opportunities; and the weaknesses of Chitral society which need to be overcome. The topic to speak on was “Suggested Strategy for Socio-Economic Development of Chitral”.

The worthy speaker referring to the novelty of the topic observed; was Chitral very different from the other districts of NWFP necessitating a strategy for socio-economic development? He then highlighted Lawari pass as the one distinguishing feature making Chitral different from other districts, in terms of its isolation, inaccessibility and backwardness, however, also bestowing Chitral with its uniqueness, making its social and cultural habitat different to the rest of Pakistan, and ensuring that Chitral would remain more Central Asian in its culture, language, social institutions, flora and fauna and cuisine than become a part of South Asia. Thus he observed that “the opening of Chitral should not become like opening of the West in America which brought great prosperity but reduced its own indigenous inhabitants to non entities”. He termed the expanding forces of market and capitalism as very powerful and often merciless, while “the only barrier to this would be the people of Chitral if they value what they have and strive to protect it”. Chitral already has the Chitral Conservation Strategy developed through one of the most intensive consultation process, but would probably call for a revisiting in view of the new developments. This strategy like so many well developed strategies in Pakistan has largely remained on the shelves in Chitral because they were developed in isolation and as a wish list. All strategies need resources if they have to become a reality and if the resources are not there we should only be speaking of emergent strategies which develop incrementally and adaptively in response to needs and opportunities.

The paper enumerated the opportunities for the socio-economic activities in Chitral in the post-Lawari tunnel scenario which include; (1) opening of Lawari tunnel will give the chance to those with resources to exploit the natural endowments of Chitral; like the mineral wealth, which will attract more and more capital to Chitral and create new opportunities and jobs in Chitral. (2) the vast water resources of Chitral which combined with steep gradients of side nullahs give many opportunities for developing hydro electricity stations in the area. (3) the variations in temperature in different Chitral valleys combined with long dry summers make it ideal for production of Mediterranean fruits. It requires the right kind of research backup, technologies and marketing facilities. The potential of Chitral for seed production of potatoes and vegetables has remained unexploited hitherto. (4) the area acting as a route of opening to Central Asia is a definitely new opportunity for the people of the area. (5) tourism, both internal and external, which has remained unexploited because of the poor infrastructure and uncertainty about traveling to the district (6) Lawari tunnel will greatly improve communication and reduce costs of transportation enormously, thus increasing mobility for poor classes of people especially. With the referred opportunities, the paper highlighted a number of threats, more important included; (1) new marketing and capitalist forces could drive out the locals completely and lead to exploitation of Chitral’s natural resources (2) the exploitation of its mineral resources could be done in a manner that damages its environment with enormous environmental costs making Chitral a very unattractive area to the tourists (3) Chitral has been largely protected by its isolation from negative forces which could make an appearance in Chitral.

One important aspect of the paper was its reference to the kind of strengths that the Chitrali society has. These included; (1) the people and their peaceful nature, as a great asset in an age of great turmoil; (2) the higher human development indicators of Chitral, compared to 14 of the resource poor districts of the province, despite the government’s lower investment in Chitral; (3) the remarkable progress of Chitral in education sector, having one of the highest literacy rates in the province; (4) rapid expansion in the space for women in the public sphere as literacy rates have also increased for women; (5) the respect for diversity; (6) having an array of civil society institutions engaged in development. The most prominent of these are the institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network which have contributed immensely in bringing about positive change in Chitral. The network is a great asset in terms of its outreach in international community and the credibility it enjoys. “While most things have travelled up from the rest of Pakistan to Chitral, at least one - the lesson of how organized communities can work to improve their lives - has travelled from Chitral and Gilgit to the rest of Pakistan.

While with narrated strengths there are also some weaknesses in Chitral society, as highlighted in the paper; (1) the foremost being the poverty, where Chitral is a food deficient area dependent on subsidized food supplies of the government; (2) to build and maintain physical infrastructure in the terrain like Chitral requires enormous resources. This has implication for Chitral becoming a hub for tourism and acting as a window for opening to Central Asia; (3) the historical, social and economic stratification of the society with unequal access to natural resources. This works against unity of its people which is absolutely essential in view of the many challenges coming in wake of the opening of the Lawari Pass; (4) the potential of Chitral as a tourist area depends on how Pakistan is perceived abroad for foreign tourists and whether Chitral has any potential for mass tourism.

The paper also stressed the idea that people of Chitral needed to temper their joy with hard facts when the economic opportunities are considered. Construction of Lawari tunnel was a political decision, driven as much by the mystique of Chitral as was by strategic and political consideration. In simple terms it was just our good luck. The situation is very different today. It was for this reason that we needed to temper our joy with hard facts and make sure that in a year’s time the human misery part of the project is alleviated by people travelling through it in winters at least. The economic development is sure to follow. The worthy speaker termed the seminar as a pointer in the direction where Chitralis believed that the opportunity cannot be allowed to go waste. His central idea based on a quote that “More powerful than the march of the most powerful armies is an idea whose time has come”. The idea that the people of Chitral need to take the initiative to preserve their uniqueness, while exploiting the many opportunities that come in the wake of the opening of the pass is an idea whose time has come.

Shehzada Masoodul Mulk concluded his paper by narrating the story of Mullah Nasruddin. One day a friend spotted the Mullah searching for something in the street. He asked the mullah what he was searching for. The mullah replied that he was searching for his key which he had lost. The friend joined him and started searching for the key. After a great deal of search they did not find anything. The friend then asked the mullah exactly where he had lost it. The mullah replied that he had lost it in his house. The friend asked him why he was searching for the key in the street when he had lost it in his house. He replied that he was doing this because there was light in the street”. To him the light lies in the people of Chital and how they view their identity and culture. Economics and planning will follow naturally.
 

Tariq Mehmood,

Islamabad.

02 march 09.

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter7

Environmental Opportunities and Risks for Chitral: Views and Reviews - IV

My previous column, Views and Reviews – II, was on the subject of Khow-Culture as discussed in the seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project: Challenges and the Way Forward. The conclusion was not something different but what the learned speakers had said; “threats and opportunities in post Lawari scenario will not be sent from heaven in a package, but would rather be determined by a number of factors”. “Environmental Opportunities and Risks for Chitral in Post-Lawari Tunnel Scenario: an Assessment of Ground Realities” was the second paper of the seminar, presented by a versatile writer, critic, and well known research scholar Dr. Inayatullah Faizi. Before he began his “daadbedad”, there were a few environmental issues raised in the context setting stage by the anchor person including the questions of physical and cultural environment of Chitral; the environmental challenges and opportunities in post Lawari scenario; and the individual and institutional responses required. This paper analyzed the opportunities and potential threats for the environment in Chitral in the post-Lawari Tunnel scenario; providing a rich profile of the physical and cultural environment of Chitral. The paper then discussed the opportunities; the building of the Lawari Tunnel will open up and also analyzed the potential threats. It finally, made certain recommendations for safeguarding and upgrading the physical and cultural environments in Chitral.

It was however, a treat to be part of the seminar and listen to the eloquent speaker of the caliber of Dr Faizi who had no problem at all in mesmerizing the audience with abstraction in deep rooted love for the soil, while referring to Aimen’s song in Shakespeare’s play “As you like it” and characterizing a land where peace, tranquility and satisfaction were found at the highest degree with all its highest standards. To Dr Faizi the land was not a Greenwood in Europe but it was Chitral. His reference to Ashfaq Ahmad’s richest tribute to the land and people of Chitral in his play “Barg-e-Arzu” (August 14, 1978) was equally absorbing. “The Hero in the play is separated from his kith and kin during the influx of refugees from East Punjab in 1947, who some how manages to reach Chitral all alone and lives there till 1978. He thinks it is Pakistan for which our nation strived and gave unprecedented sacrifices during the independence movement and partition days. On his sudden reunion with the family after 31 years, he was flown into Lahore and he was told that Pakistan is a large country and Lahore is its second largest city. After spending two days in that city, the hero says, “I shall go back to Pakistan.” He was told this is Pakistan, but he insisted that how can a land where theft, robbery, abduction for ransom and other crimes are order of day be my Pakistan. Only Chitral can be the land which can boast of being “Land of the pure”, so let me return to the land of the pure and he made it back to Chitral”.

Dr. Faizi termed the opening of Lawari Tunnel as a turning point in the history of Chitral with tremendous opportunities but potential threats, risks and challenges; “the most horrible challenge being the influx of terrorists instead of tourists”. However he appreciated the unfolding opportunities and strengths in the post-Lawari tunnel scenario, and presented a brief profile of the physical and cultural environment of Chitral as environmental “hardware” and “software”. Where the hardware composed the physical beauty of Chitral and the “software” consisted of abstract qualities of love, peace, brotherhood, skills in folk arts and crafts, fairy tales, folk wisdom, and a colorful blend of 14 languages as well as the traditional tools such as gram, saq, yardoie and merzhoe etc. Chitral, the largest district in NWFP with 20% of the land area and over 400,000 people (3% of the population) of the province consisted of 14850 sq km area, where 76% of land is covered by rocks and glaciers, 20% by small patches of coniferous forests, much larger belt of waste land, sub alpine pastures and water bodies, 1.5% covered by built areas, and remaining 2.5% is left for agriculture. Chitral has a rich biodiversity of 8000 species including 66 endemic plant species. It also has some endangered animals of the world such as Snow Leopard, markhor, brown bear and snow partridge, considered to be a visitor’s dream which comes true only in Chitral. It had traditional institutions of resource management as integral parts of the statecraft; whereas following modern trends of social order, people have organized in a robust civil society with 2,000 registered village organizations, 300 voluntary societies and 35 companies, with a net saving of almost Rs. 150 million in cash.

Dr. Faizi elaborated the likely post-Lawari tunnel environmental threats, including growing chances of disasters due to its vulnerability to seismic zone; deforestation resulting in the loss of biodiversity resources and assets; exploitation of minerals, where almost 80% of the recorded mineral deposits have been leased out to the urban traders while the indigenous people will be deprived of the maximum benefits of development; fear of demographic changes, where invasive species will get hold of fragile land resources, markets, business centers and employment opportunities in Chitral out numbering the indigenous people, and especially the most vulnerable Kalash community (whose population which was 10,000 in 1959 showed 63% decrease per annum due to the pressure of people from the urban centers of the country, shrinking it to 3700 souls in 2009). There is a fear of unplanned urbanization as well which is expected to boost up in haphazard in the absence of legal instruments for land use planning, building control, solid waste management, sanitation and sewerage etc.

In the suggested strategies and responses, Dr Faizi reiterated on the following points:-
• To save the indigenous communities, Chitral needs the same approach and the same level of “political will”, as in 1927 Chaudry Chotu Ram, in order to save people with small pieces of land in Punjab, adopted by taking up a case, making continuous struggle and thereby passing a bill by the Assembly in 1937, thus giving protection to the interests of indigenous people.
• To minimize the risks of environmental hazards and disasters due to rapid urbanization in future, the District of Chitral will need a package of financial support for infrastructure, natural resource management, alternative energy and building capacities of indigenous people in entrepreneurial skills. The package should not be less than worth of Rupees sixty billion.
• Mega projects like Lawari tunnel are always followed by Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It is high time that EIA report of this mega project is made public and disaster risk management strategies may be formulated.
• The policy makers at Federal, Provincial and District level have a responsibility to do homework for urban and land use planning for Chitral. The extension of Pakistan Environment Protection Act, 1997 (PEPA) is vital. Similarly building control laws and regulations should be extended to Chitral.
• The civil society organizations of Chitral, the intelligentsia, academia and social activists should join hands to be aware of the risks and threats likely to be posed to the indigenous communities by the market forces in the post-Lawari Tunnel scenario.
Dr Faizi concluded his paper with a quote of two lines from Amin Ur Rehman Chughtai:
Qatal, Aghwa, Herion, Choghi, Daka, Dhamaka
Hello! Korar Lo Dosan! Awa Pakistana Asum
These lines read, “Murder, abduction, heroin, theft, dacoity and explosions; “Hello! Where from you are speaking?” “Of course from Pakistan”. This is what the people of Chitral want to avoid after the opening of the tunnel. No doubt the tunnel was vital for better communication, yet the socio-economic safeguards and environmental risk management is more vital for the survival of the indigenous people of Chitral. Otherwise any future epic of Chitral will give an impression of the loss of identity and it will be like an echo of the famous “Paradise lost” by John Milton.

Tariq Mehmood
Islamabad
23 Feb 09

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter6

Comments on a Valued Letter: Views and Reviews - III

Apropos to Mr. Mir Wazir Khan’s article on the subject I would like to appreciate his logically presented ideas embodying requisite details. It has mentioned absence of the details of papers presented in the subject seminar; which however, are being shared with the readers gradually inviting elaborate discussions on all the four aspects taken up for discussion. The readers are expected to show interest in each and every segment by sharing their valuable views for benefit of the general public. The article also proposes a few more important areas for deliberations including Rural Development; Education and Culture; Civil Military Relations; Institution Building; and Diversity and Pluralism. I suggest that, besides other individuals and organizations, Chitral community in Islamabad-Rawalpindi being relatively better resourceful should take up these subjects for discussion with active support from the learned and practicing community living in Chitral and elsewhere. The worthy writer has appreciated efforts of Chitral Development Forum in organizing a seminar of such a high standard, thereby gathering on one platform the responsible people from various shades of life; having direct or indirect role in the development of Chitral. I join him in this appreciation for the simple fact that Chitral community in the twin cities demonstrated its unique, but henceforth overt and untapped potential, by setting excellent standards for the future seminars and discussions. They also had the guidance and support of enlightened Chitralis from elsewhere. This seminar at least served one best purpose, demonstrating the confidence that Chitral has great intellectual and administrative potential, as was explicit from the admirations of people of international caliber. Kudos to all who worked diligently.

Baring a few minor points, I am in conformity with the views expressed by the worthy writer. The writer has referred to some of the issues which are parasites for the Chitral society, including lack of self evaluation amongst the leaders and the led; ethical degradation thereby compromising set out standards for work output (examples of construction work); falling standards in education and health sectors and so on so forth? The writer is of the view that “only through organization of events we may not be able to come up with workable solutions and many not be able to make effective responses to emerging challenges”. To me the greatest drawback in Chitral society is absence of people’s views in what is being done for them either by the political leadership, government functionaries or the non-governmental organizations. Chitral society does have vibrant minds, novel ideas, willing workers, and potential pluralist thinking, but the society is lacking behind other societies in putting together this potential to form a unified response to the issues. For example, unwanted tussles between leadership at various levels and shades in Chitral have always made the society tense thereby diminishing the chances of unified solutions to problems. The deteriorating standard of public sector education is damaging the new generation, but voice of society against this root cause of evils is abysmally poor. Substandard workmanship is observed by almost everyone, in every project and every where in Chitral but no unified version of intellectual voice from the society is heard. These examples draw our attention towards one major issue – the societal apathy. Every inhabitant owes to its soil. The soil of Chitral, as well, has provided highly respectable shelter to its inhabitants - irrespective of religious, cast, creed or income level discriminations. It is therefore, responsibility of the inhabitants to pay back. What a civil society does for sustainable development of Chitral? To me it is expression of its strong voice by favouring every good and denouncing every evil. How far the civil society has been successful in this respect in the modern times? I think there it lacks much. If so, the educated community of Chitral society owes more, so it has to put its intellectual voice together. Uniformity in voice can be generated through opening up the opportunities of exchange of views and communication of ideas. What ever the means may be – seminars, discussions, brainstorming sessions, committee meetings, Delphi technique in problem solving, use of media, etc. etc. – the purpose is to sensitize the society, the organizations, and the individuals that a vibrant voice of civil society exists, not only to watch but to exchange ideas, generate healthy and non-political discussions, reaching plausible conclusions and thereby guiding for action.

The writer is of the view that “for any development agenda to succeed, the first step should commence from the individual”. I agree individuals make the society. But if every issue is put off as an individual responsibility, then theory and study of sociology – which is about the organization of collections of human bodies into forms of social life – becomes irrelevant. In the modern complex society there are many individual responsibilities but many more societal or collective responsibilities. If we expect a poor farmer in a remote Arkari, Rech or Balim village to demand for high standard of education for their children, it will be absurd. This responsibility can better be shouldered by a unified voice of Dr. Mir Baiz Khan, Dr. Inayatullah Faizi, Dr. Mir Afzal Tajik and many more able sons and daughters of Chitral. If a shepherd in Broghil is expected to know the dynamics of negotiating a route to Tajikistan via Chitral, it still is a naïve idea. The political leadership, the development practitioners and such other enlightened people of Chitral can shoulder the responsibility. For all development, Chitral society will have to raise voice and such voice will most apparently come from the more learned segments of the society. The author also has the apprehension that without structured and systematic efforts for development of Chitral, those well-organized forums might turn to be public relation exercises at the most. To me development in any society has two aspects; the theoretical framework and the practical execution. But both of these aspects have deep roots in the initial idea, public support in its favour, its refinement by sharing with more knowledgeable ones, and telling or selling the idea to the societal organizations to come up with structured activities. Organizing seminars, discussions, and other intellectual activities do provide this basic idea for a later more structured execution. Expecting on the spot tangible output from a discussion, for example on Tajikistan road via Chitral, would still be a misplaced expectation. What the discussion would do is, sensitize Chitral society to raise voice at different forums, strengthen the political leadership with show of societal and intellectual support, and make the government and non-governmental organizations aware of the needs, prospects and potentials, etc. Any well organized seminar of course is one of the best ways of generating discussions, communicating with concerned organizations and eliciting support for the structured development in a later time frame.

If a seminar, a discussion session or a small article in an online daily is taken with this spirit, then Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project was a sacred effort by the civil society with the purpose (1) to generate discussion in the society - highlighting some of the burning issues of Chitral - and (2) to effectively communicate with the government and non-governmental organizations on the broader theme of development in Chitral. I will appreciate if others follow and take up the themes proposed by the learned writer

Tariq Mehmood,

Islamabad

22 Feb 09.

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter5

Khow Culture: Views and Reviews –II

In my previous column on the subject I had mentioned that Lawari Tunnel though is not the only tunnel in the world to make the people much excited about, but of course is a project that carries great meaning for the people of Chitral. It will provide them all weather route to connect other parts of Pakistan, opening new opportunities for development and above all helping them psychologically to feel themselves part of their beloved country Pakistan. As Professor Israrud Din very rightly said, “from 1947 till 2009 we (Chitral people) were with Pakistan but from 2009 onwards we are in Pakistan”. This project is visualized to bring along enormous opportunities of development in all sphere of life, but surely such opportunities do carry even more serious challenges as well. In the context setting stage one of the major areas highlighted by the anchor person, Lt Col Khush Muhammad Khan, was the KHOW Culture in post Lawari scenario. He put a few emerging questions including; how is Khow Culture unique? What are its vulnerabilities after greater exposure to other cultures? What are the current cultural sensitivities in Chitral? What opportunities of development does the Khow culture provide in post Lawari scenario? What individual and institutional responses are needed to overcome the envisaged cultural challenges? To answer these and many other such questions, Mr. Sher Wali Khan Aseer with active co-authorship of his able student Mr. Ali Sher Khan presented a thought provoking seminar paper titled; “Khow-Culture: Unique Identity and Challenges”. The paper presented a critical account of the predominant culture of Chitral - the Khow Culture - its unique identity and the potential challenges posed by post-Lawari Tunnel scenario.
Culture in terms of Relationality. The approach taken in this paper to discuss the Khow culture was based on the understanding of culture in terms of relationality; relations between and among groups and individuals, perspectives and ideas and ideologies. In order to understand the Khow culture of Chitral we need to see how these relations are played in everyday life such as during marriages, festivals and sport events. Making sense of the changing relations needs conceptual clearance of what it means by Khow culture. The distinct culture developed and observed by the people of Chitral- the Khow, as a result of intermingling of people coming from diverse regions is known as Khow culture. It is not bounded in a spatial dimension because Chitral people share this culture with the people of Ghizer district of Northern Areas, Swat, Kohistan and other parts of the country where Khow people live.
How Unique is the Khow Culture? The people known as Chitralis today came from diverse geographical locations and ‘cultures’. Khow culture then is unique in a sense that it has integrated and nurtured diverse forms of social relations to create a culture of its own characterized by the values of peace, compassion, liberty and cooperation. Such values may apparently be found in other cultures as well however; in Khow Culture these form the essentials ingredients.
Meaning of the word Khow. The speakers were of the view that the word Khow, denominating the Chitral people, has its origin in the living place- the caves - at the initial stage of their settlement, which in Hindi was khau. This assumption was also substantiated from the oral history of Chitral by telling that quite after their permanent settlement in the upper valleys of Chitral; people used caves on high lands as shelter. Thus the dwellers of caves were named Khau after their dwelling places and by distortion it became Khow. To the scholars, Khow people are the backwash of second wave of Aryan immigrants of about 1500-1000 BC. They remained in close contact with Ghalcha speaking people to the North of Hidukush before they crossed over to the South which caused differences in their language and way of life. Chitral has also nurtured Kalasha Culture for about 1500 years. Chitral by its geographical situation had been an important place on the trade route from North and North eastern countries of the Hindukush to the plains of Gandhara and Middle East. Thus Khow Culture also assimilated some of the characteristics of those cultures who came in contact with it.
Customs and Rituals. The paper explored the Khow culture in terms of its unique customs, traditions, rituals, and values that the people of Chitral have enjoyed for centuries. Marriages, funerals, Gram (tratradional Khow society), Khow clothing, traditional foods, Khowar music, language and literature, festivals, sports, and Kalash (the jewel of Chitral) were some of the major elements of customs and rituals that make the Khow culture unique.
Values in Khow Culture. To the renowned speakers, “all the traditions and traditional institutions revolved around the values. Predominant values of mutual cooperation, compassion, collective survival, peace and tolerance, along side the symbolic elements of the culture have made Chitral culture a unique one. For example the value of compassion draws on the interdependency and the local genuine need of supporting each other in difficult times. The value of peace and tolerance, which is the hallmark of Chitral people, draws on its unique culture of living together of people from diverse social groups and regions harmoniously”.
Despite having strong bonds of relations based on shared value system and its strong but a little fading symbolic expression in the form of dress, food, rituals, marriages, festivals etc. should the people of Chitral be worried about any negative effects of the Lawari Tunnel project will affect the culture of Chitral? The speakers were of the view that “threat to Khow culture exists both with and without the Lawari tunnel, and so are opportunities. It is only in the time of abrupt change such as the opening of Lawari tunnel we feel that the Khow culture is in crises. The fear of domination by outsiders has made tradition as an object of attention, where as formerly it was not. Khow culture has the experience of surviving the influx of outsiders such as the Afghan refugees who still live in Chitral”. The people of Chitral when express their apprehensions, it is in fact expression of their strong desire to retain the virtues of cultural values that will help them live peacefully against the growing militancy and insecurity in society. The new Chitral will definitely experience a fresh pattern of relations within its territory and with outside world. However, the speakers were optimistic that “the core values which drive such relations will remain for long”. The challenges as discussed by the worthy speakers can be summed up as follow:-
• A culture loses its dynamism and creativity with the lack of interest in cultural events among its upholders.
• In the post Lawari scenario a careful handling of tourism would encourage promotion of Khow culture through the promotion of cultural events, with out ignoring the common people.
• The influx of dominating ideas and ideologies may be a challenge.
• Culture is not static but rather is characterized by both continuity and change, and the change should be independently negotiated and internalized. The issue then is not of the influx of foreign cultures but rather is of within what kind of environment they do operate.
• The emergence of new forms of institutions outside the traditional institutional framework should not necessarily be seen as threat to the Khow culture. However, the ethical codes behind such ‘non-traditional’ associations reflect very much of the tradition.
• In the post Lawari scenario we are to be ready for some cultural tensions. For example, in the changing patterns of social relations the value of hospitality will cause great anxiety among the Chitral people, especially those without enough cash income.
• Chitral people will be concerned about weakening ethics and moralities, when we are not covered by state laws against emerging moral and ethical issues, and at the same time we are quite ahead on the road to modernization with traditional networks redefined.
• The cultural organizations and the Government have to play crucial role in providing enabling environment for the Chitral people to promote their culture.
• There was a genuine need for preserving and promoting the Khow culture by encouraging the cultural events such as the Khowar music, sports and other festivals in the post-Lawari Tunnel scenario.
I conclude these comments in the words of the speakers, that “one can imagine both threats and opportunities in post Lawari scenario. These threats and opportunities will not be sent from heaven in a package, but would rather be determined by a number of factors such as the nature of relations of Chitral people with Pakistan state, education system which may or may not encourage creativity and innovation, changing nature of local economic system and commitment of Chitral people to the values of peace and compassion in their internalization of transforming relations”.
 

Tariq Mehmood,

Islamabad

21 Feb 09

Lawari Tunnel Project: Challenges

and the Way forward-4

Summary of Seminar’s Papers Held on February 14, 2009 at Serena Hotel Islamabad

The primary objective of this seminar was to create awareness amongst the stakeholders about the emerging development opportunities in Chitral district in a post Lawari scenario and generate discussions on the potential challenges with regard to accessibility of the local people to the new socioeconomic opportunities, environmental threats due to influx of people, industrialization and unplanned expansion of population centers. The seminar also elaborated on the extension of Lawari project to link Chitral with Central Asian Republics (CARs) and China. The seminar highlighted the strategic location of Chitral and its potential for becoming a safe trade corridor and business hub for Pakistan and CARs. The seminars also floated the idea of protecting the current social structure, cultural heritage and peaceful atmosphere of the area and develop a collective response to the common challenges.

The papers hashed out the matters that Chitral was uniquely located district of Pakistan with a huge potential of development in terms of its natural, human and social resources. Despite persistent external pressure, Chitral has successfully faced the adverse impact of the changing geopolitical developments in the region and it has managed its ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity. Chitral offers an excellent model of social cohesion and communal co-existence with a good example of responsive and robust civil society.

While most things have travelled up from the rest of Pakistan to Chitral, at least one the lesson of how organized communities can work to improve their lives has travelled from Chitral and Gilgit to the rest of Pakistan. The people of Chitral have survived in harsh and difficult environments for centuries because of their capacity for self-help and the capacity to initiate collective action for common good. This is best expressed in those great irrigation channels built centuries ago through folk technology under leadership of non literate engineers. Beginning with the eighties and nineties the work initiated here by AKRSP and subsequently incorporated in the work of IFAD and other RSPs have spread that message to other parts of Pakistan. This vast network of social capital both historical and built capital can be looked upon as an invaluable asset to manage a change in a positive direction.

The rich culture of the area also provides the entrepreneurs with the opportunities to develop tourist products which can boost the eco-tourism in the area with small investment. These products include the famous traditional polo, traditional foods, festivals and dresses. In the post Lawari scenario a careful handling of tourism would encourage promotion of Khow culture through the promotion of cultural events. However, it needs to make sure that common Chitral people are not excluded due to the institutionalization of such events.

Another major concern is environmental degradation as a result of increased commercial activities. The area appeared to be fragile and prone to a number of natural calamities such as earthquake, glacier outbursts, floods and erosion. Therefore any development interventions should not disturb the fragile ecosystem and communal setup with social capital which has been a major source of survival for the inhabitants. The exploitation of its mineral resources could be done in a manner that damages its environment with enormous environmental costs. These are also already visible in some of the marble mining that is being carried out in Chitral. It could make Chitral a very unattractive area and diminish its attractiveness to the tourists which is one of its niches. Main environmental threats include growing chances of disasters, deforestation, exploitation of minerals, demographic changes and unplanned urbanization. The civil society organizations of Chitral, the intelligentsia, academia and social activists should join hands at this particular time to be aware of the risks and threats likely to be posed to the indigenous communities by the market forces in the post-Lawari scenario. The indigenous institutions can play an important role in managing natural resources and reducing environmental threats. Indigenization of the lessons learned by the external development institutions such as the agencies of Aka Khan Development Network (AKDN), IUCN and Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) by strengthening the newly developed Local Support Organizations can help achieve the goal of sustainable development.

Paper on socioeconomic development demonstrated that the main economic opportunities include the use of huge water resources of the district by constructing small and medium sized hydro power projects both by public and NGO sector. The water resources of Chitral have a potential to generate over 5000 megawatt electricity as clean source of energy. Another opportunity lies in horticulture and vegetable seed production. The variation in temperature in different valleys combined with long dry summer make its ideal for production of Medierranean fruits. If provided with the right kind of research backup, technologies and marketing facilities, there is a lot to exploit in this sector. Similarly the potential of Chitral for seed production of potatoes and vegetables has remained unexploited hitherto. The most important opportunity is the area acting as a route of opening to central Asia. There is a lot of debate on this and is a definitely new opportunity for the people of the area

While these are some of the opportunities which could be exploited to the advantage of Chitral there are a number of threats which need to be addressed. These are: new marketing and capitalist forces could drive out the locals completely and lead to exploitation of Chitral’s natural resources with very little benefits for the locals. The people already see this happening in the way vast tracts of mountains and river beds are now being leased out in Peshawar to people many of whom have never ever visited the place in the past. We also see this in the spree for purchasing agricultural land in Chitral.
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There will be little benefit of the Lawari Tunnel for the communities unless the internal network of valley roads is in good order. For this purpose (1) all valley roads of Chitral have to be widened, improved and linked to Lawari Highway (2) Lawari-Shandur road has to be widened and linked with the Karakorum Highway over the Shandur Pass to link Chitral to northern China (3) cross border road either from Broghil or Dorah Pass must be constructed to link Chitral with the CARs. Sufficient safeguards must be put in place against trading of illicit items (4) in tandem with the construction of cross border road link, there is also need to connect Chitral with the regional capital cities of the CARs, Afghanistan and Kashghar through airlink because contour lines and roads are easily used by outlaws and those dealing in illicit trade. To offset the chances of illicit trade and sneaking of subversive elements into safe places, a saner option is to link Chitral with Dushambe, Bishkek, Gilgit, and Kashghar by air. Chitral airport can be improved and there are ideal alternative locations for airfield construction

Sherzad Ali Hyder,
Islamabad

19 Feb 09.

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter3

The organizers of Chitral Development Forum, Islamabad deserve genuine admiration for organizing a mega event to discuss Chitral’s development in post-tunnel era. It is by no means a small effort in bringing large number of Chitralis’ and other distinguished guests together. The forum also deserves appreciation for honouring their leaders-past and presents, for their contribution in realizing the goal of all-weather route for Chitral.

I have a humble submission vis-à-vis the development of Chitral that may be useful for any future strategy formulation. Before commencing the topic, I would add some thing about the importance of the opening of the tunnel. There have been some epoch-making events in the history of Chitral from the late 19th century up to the first decade of the 21st century. These are the invasion and occupation of Chitral by Englishmen in 1895; the opening of the first formal and modern school system in late 1930s; the accession of the State of Chitral with Pakistan in 1949; the abolition of the symbolic status of Statehood of Chitral in 1969 and the opening of the tunnel in 2009. All these events and developments had positive effect on the socio-economic development of Chitral.

The opening of the tunnel is really historic, but Chitralis’ should not celebrate the event in a manner that directly or indirectly projects a perception that the opening of the tunnel was in the realm of impossibility and that it is a miracle or a bounty of Nature that the Chitralis’ least deserved. After all, Chitral is a large district and a former princely State of considerable geo-strategic importance located at a confluence of historic ancient trade routes and cultures. If five time more money can be spent on Lahore-Islamabad Motor Way in the presence of a robust all-weather Grand Trunk road, then why 10 billion could not be spent to provide life facility to a population of 400,000 and to an area of over 14,000 square kilometers. I would say that the project should have been executed much earlier as a reward to Chitral for its peaceful and amenable merger with Pakistan.

Another related issue that is not clear is as to whether different development forums are debating the development of Chitral in isolation from the rest of the country or within the broader national framework as a special territory. I think the latter version would be the case. And in that situation, we have to take stock of the overall national context for planning for post-tunnel development of Chitral.

Now some thoughts on the presentations of scholars and technocrats, though the details have not been reported by media.

A glimpse from Chitral News and Chitral Times shows that the first presentation related to the distinct identity of Khow-culture and it is presumed the scholars may have come up with probable solutions to preserve the identity of this culture in the face of inroads by different cultures and mounting cross-cultural contacts. A culture is neither static nor monolithic entity and it influences or is influenced by other cultures depending on the resilience and power of the cultures that face each other. Even in the calm and quiet days of pre-tunnel period, Khow-culture has undergone visible changes in parts of Chitral. Electronic media, the Internet, frequent interactions and intermarriages with more wide spread cultures from outside Chitral has had its impact on Khow-culture. The post-tunnel period will expose this unique culture to more and more impacts from other national and international cultures. Right now we frequently use English, Urdu and Pashto words in our communication; we watch TV, Internet and movies more often than we listen to local music and engage in evening gatherings or ‘mahraka’ for discussion. The style of our drawing rooms, our clothing and footwear and the pattern of our social relations are already changing. Every home used to be a meeting place for elders and now elder entertainment centres are being considered for them. Any way, for preservation of Khow-culture, it seems necessary that its binding characteristics needs to be redefined and continuing institutionalized efforts should be channeled for its preservation.

The second theme of considerable importance was the necessity of environment and environment-friendly development in Chitral in post-tunnel times. The vitality of serene environment in overall sustainable development can hardly be underestimated. Global environmental managers are right in saying that “we should hand over mother Earth to our posterity in as good a shape as we inherited from our ancestors”. The idea is good but lacks true legal, regulatory and financial commitments from their side as much of the degradation seems to be their making. In the face of awesome population explosion, rough accumulation of wealth by few and naked competition for scarce resources environment has become a prey. Environment should have been the priority of the 20% blessed population of the developed countries who squander 80% of the global wealth. The problems of the 80% poor populace, who share just 20% of the global wealth and whose lives are miserably dependent on subsistence level earnings, are potable water, food, shelter, clothing, employment, basic health and education for bare survival.

For post-tunnel Chitral to be environment-friendly, we need to control the unchecked cutting of trees for use as timber for extended constructions and for burning as firewood. We also need to diligently manage soil erosion by banning cattle herding and by more plantation. One can not resist natural calamity and geological journey of the earth and despite all out efforts we can not stop but can only contain environmental deterioration. Environment-friendly development thus necessitates tourism and small industry-based employment opportunities and alternate sources of energy for heating and cooking.

The third topic was Chitral’s standing as a gateway to different countries and cultures. There is no denying the fact that Chitral is in close proximity with Tajikistan and to other Central Asian States through Tajikistan. Chitral is also very close to China-the emerging global power, through its western province of Chinese Turkistan. In antiquity, Chitral had relations with Kashghar, Yarkand and Sariqul areas of this largely Muslim populated province. In all these countries and regions, three powerful philosophies and ideologies- Islam, Communism and Capitalism embrace and interact with each other. It would be both an opportunity and a challenge for Chitral to meticulously address this diversity and tread her own way for her own benefit without her own culture being subdued or submerged. I am sure the learned presenter may have presented solutions for this colossal cross-cultural interface and its benefits on trade and tourism. He would have emphasized the importance of uniformity in diversity, pluralism and civil society development as basics in this march of globalization.

To realize the goal of ethics based development for Chitral in the hustle bustle of post-tunnel period, the leadership and followers in Chitral alike should undertake self-evaluation and self-assessment. This should start by dividing the requisite tasks and areas of development in various specialized categories and assigning the same to various expert groups for in-depth study and recommendations. Only through the organization of events we may not be able to come up with workable solutions and may not be able to make effective responses to emerging challenges. We have to ponder that why is it so that roads, bridges and other public works completed more than 100 years ago during British days are still in good condition with no or minimum repairs. While similar projects completed just twenty or thirty years ago are in dilapidated condition and require constant repairs. The road across the Lowari Top with huge stone embankment along the 45 zig-zag curves built by the British is still intact. Many other projects such as Harchin Bridge in Laspur etc are some other instances. While Booni Bridge and many other projects constructed in 1980s and 1990s are in shambles and require annual repairs.

And what are the reasons that public sector education and health systems have lost credibility and people prefer private services. Why our education system has not been able to produce graduates skilled to compete in market and having a cause and commitment to that cause. While poorly funded informal religious seminaries, irrespective of the rightfulness of their worldview and perceptions have produced graduates who are honest and committed to their cause and are ready to extend maximum scarify for the same. Why our beloved country has different class-based educational and health delivery system are questions to be tackled before any durable development agenda is put in place.

To sum up, the development agenda is proposed to be divided into the following categories and assigned to experts from Chitral for their study and recommendations. These recommendations should be debated in some more development forums. It is a process similar to eliciting butter from milk as it takes centuries for a drop of water for its conversion into pearl.

1. Rural Development, Inter- NGO relations and NGO-Govt. Partnership

Issues to be covered are:

• The success and failure of Rural Support Programs (RSPs) in Chitral such as AKRSP, SRSP and others
• Lesson learnt and replication of best practices and future action plan based on past performance
• Cooperation and coordination among different RSPs
• Coordination with government and impacting government development practices if RSPs have best practices of community initiated models.
The team for the above should comprise of people with rich experience in RSPs.
 

Mir Wazir Khan
Awi, Chitral
19 Feb 09

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter2

I feel great pleasure to convey my felicitation from the core of my heart to each and every member of the Chitral Development Forum, Islamabad for holding such a grand and successful seminar, 'The Lawari Tunnel Project, Challenges and the way forward' at the Serina Hotel, Islamabad on Feb: 14, 2009. The credit goes to the sincere leadership of Mr. Wali Khan and hard work of all members of the the organizing committee, especially o Lt Col Khush Muhammad Khan, Mr Ehsanul Haque Jan and Qazi Fazle Elahi..  It is fact that when a task is performed purely on the basis of national interest having no indulgence of politics of personal end, its success becomes hundred percent sure. I was much more impressed on the unity and team work of the Chitral youth and hope that the zeal and enthusiasm shall further strengthen under  the devoted and dynamic leadership of the Chitrali intellectuals.

Sher Wali Khan Aseer,

Abbottabad.

18 Feb 09.

Seminar on Lawari Tunnel Project -Letter

It was Saturday the February 14th morning, when I approached Serena Hotel Islamabad, with my invitation cum entry card of Rupees one thousand value in hand. My first encounter was with the stout security personnel of Islamabad Police, about half a kilometer away from the hotel, where I had to explain reasons for going to Serena by answering as many questions as the vigilant police personnel would have asked. But to my pleasant surprise representatives of Chitral Community were there to greet me as well as avoiding any inconvenience to the incoming guests. We were very respectfully taken to the eloquent Shamadan Hall of the hotel which was decorated with just two well written and nicely worded banners, one greeting the guests and the other highlighting the theme of the seminar; “Lawari Tunnel Project: Challenges and the Way Forward”. The second one also reflected a phrase, “Looking Beyond Perceptions” a slogan that this seminar had adopted.

The seminar was organized by the Chitral people living in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on the occasion of completion of first phase of Lawari Tunnel. One question sharply struck my mind; when Government of Pakistan throughout the year, keeps on either initiating or completing mega projects in one or the other part of the country, then what is special with Lawari Tunnel entailing celebrations not only in Chitral but else where people of Chitral live? Surprisingly one of my cousins from Karachi posed to me the same question but differently worded. Simply the act of celebrations seems an absurd idea but in essence it is meaningful, logical and absolutely timely. Chitral is a uniquely located district in the northern most part of Pakistan. It occupies about 20 percent of land and two percent of population of NWFP. This habitat of four and a half lacs of people for centuries remained land locked.

 One can hardly imagine; how communities in a landlocked mountainous Chitral valley have been facing the miseries of life without access to the rest of the world for significant part of the year. The problems were not confined to socio-economic deprivations only but reflected a history of humanitarian issue with loss of scores of precious lives every year. Over the decades several thousand Chitral people succumbed to the cruelties of Lawari Pass while in effort to reach their destinations or faced certain death due to inaccessibility to better hospital facilities available in down country. Though, every other loss of human life added to our grief and sorrow but worked to bring the destination even closer. The last sacrifice of this lengthy series was perhaps a small baby of one month who was frozen to death a couple of weeks earlier, while parent of the baby were trying to cross the snow bound Killer Mountain. As realization of historic landmarks, like the one Lawari Tunnel, demands great sacrifices, we also lost one worker and one engineer of Messer Sambu Company, seven jawans of Chitral Scouts and five civilian including one minor in course of their duty. Even a day earlier the seminar a few casualties occurred when an avalanche hit a group of workers.

Celebrations are also justified for the reason that Lawari represented more than just a physical barrier for the people of Chitral; as it was difficult for them to feel themselves as part of the national life. It is now the ‘Dream Comes True’ situation. But at the same time it has put enhanced responsibilities on our shoulders, as well as on the shoulders of Government of Pakistan and international community to consider this mountainous region as part of the national and the broader global society. The responsibilities to be shouldered include providing enabling environment to the people for benefiting from the enormous opportunities of development to come with opening of the strategic route through Lawari Mountain. But its fruit can be tasted by larger part of the local community only through development of road infrastructure to ease access within various parts of Chitral, which at present are in dilapidated conditions.

Over the years Chitral has successfully faced the threatening geo-political circumstances and demonstrated its strengths of diversity and pluralistic social structure. Due to exemplary social cohesion and religious tolerance, this valley has become a model for communal co-existence. The people of Chitral, national institutions and international community have the responsibility to support for protection of the peaceful environment, rich culture and unique value system. This can be possible through socio-economic emancipation of the people which at present they lack greatly. The peace and tranquility in Chitral also provides strong grounds for viable route to the Central Asian States thus enhancing trade relations with adjoining regions. The construction of Lawari tunnel is a moment of great significance not only for Chitral but also for the regions located in closer geographical proximity to Chitral.

This seminar was a genuine effort by well educated segment of Chitral community living in Islamabad / Rawalpindi, with a view to provide various departments of the government of Pakistan, the friendly countries and the non-governmental organizations an opportunity of “Looking Beyond Perceptions” in exploiting the enormous physical, cultural, environmental, socio-economic and human resource to develop not only Chitral but also the adjoining regions for which the new Chitral can provide a launching pad. Presence of people from various segments of life made it a unique event. The participants included large numbers of politicians as well but this event was absolutely academic in character and conduct. I do not hesitate to admit that it was a highly appreciable and purely academic effort of the civil society to generate discussion on matters of interest for the people of Chitral. Such academic pursuits should continue in future as well.
By listening through the seminar proceedings I never ever felt that I had procured a costly invitation cum entry card.
 

Tariq Mehmood,

Islamabad.

17 Feb 09.

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