PM’s visit to Chitral

It was stunning to hear about the disparaging remarks uttered by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif about Chitralis in a public gathering the other day. It is all the more shocking to see the ominous silence evinced by our public representatives over these derogatory utterances.  I am equally dismayed over the passive acceptance by the elite and educated segment of Chitral except a lone voice over these unwarranted and degrading expressions.

The simmering wound PM Nawaz Sharif had inflicted on Chitralis seventeen years back while addressing them in the same venue is still fresh in our memory and is tormenting us with every passing day. I was expecting an intense gut reaction from our public representatives over these belittling remarks but to my utter dismay they are rejoicing over it. This speaks volumes about their indifference and apathetic attitude towards  public sentiments.

PM Nawaz Sharif should not forget that with us (Chitralis)  honour is foremost and takes precedence over everything else. He must also understand that in Chitral there is a plethora of talented lot who are more educated, more intelligent and more competent than him. They can speak better Urdu and English than him. As for the masses, they too, are sharp enough to understand PM Nawaz Sharif’s purport and his estimation of Chitralis.

Mr. PM! Please remember that you are not doing any favour to Chitralis by announcing the already launched development projects. These projects were already launched during the previous regimes but remained dormant due to sheer negligence of our public representatives.  You should not forget that Chitralis have as much rights and privileges as the Lahorites have.  They are not any lesser beings. Please also remember that you are not announcing these projects out of love for Chitralis rather you are doing it under extreme compulsion and mounting pressure exerted on you by Imran Khan’s mass mobilization. Chitralis must be thankful to Imran Khan.

As regards Lowari tunnel, don’t try to take the credit. Every child of Chitral has the cognizance that it is a gift given to Chitralis by Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and you too, in your heart of hearts acknowledge it willy-nilly. Chitralis will remain indebted to Gen Musharraf for this great and historic project which had remained a mere political slogan since 1976. — Col (r) Ikram Ullah Khan, Laspur 10 Sep 2016.

18 thoughts on “PM’s visit to Chitral

  1. @ Col Ikram Ullah Khan, I personally don’t agree with the contents of your article at all. The message you have conveyed is totally prejudiced and smells out of Mr. Imran Khan’s politics.
    I am 70 and live in Lahore since 1965. I am fully aware of the past 100 years history of every politician of Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif is my leader and I know his attitude and behavior and past history. His humorous remarks about knowledge of Urdu cannot be termed as humiliation of Chitralis. Education makes the man perfect and broad-minded. So, the narrow-minded people are advised to avoid making the PM’s remarks controversial. I would like to quote another event of humor which was happened with Mr. Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence. During the first year of his current regime, Mian Nawaz Sharif paid a friendly visit to Bani Gala. Imran Khan was wearing a fascinating fancy Chapal. Mian Sahib remarked that “if the chapal was gifted by Taliban”? Mr. Khan smiled in a positive tone but did not mind of the remarks because he is educated person and understands the sense of humor.

    I have already given my comments on another article that Mian Nawaz Sharif has a great love for Chitrali people. This is evident from the fact that most of the personal staff of Sharif family belong to Chitral. Because we Chitralis are tested for our honesty, credibility, trust and above all peace loving people.

  2. Senior Chitralis like Col Ikramullah should come forward and try to solve the problems. Just writing letters to news papers is not enough. However Col Ikramullah is better than many in this respect who sit passively as silent onlookers and do not even express their views on the evils in the society.

  3. Writting long stories in Chitralnews, Directly addressing PM of a country does’t make any sense. Why did officers, leaders etc not show some courage to stand up on the spot to ask PM, why did he humiliate the most important valuable and good for nothing ghayoor chitralies?. Writing all this in newspapers looks like nothing more than essay writing competition.

  4. @Sultan Wali Khan. With due respect our PM must have some sense of humor while spiting a joke towards a crowd of thousands. A leader must choose his words carefully while passing a joke, because there is a very thin line between humiliation and humor. Having knowledge of past 100 years of our history does not mean that the leader you choose is perfect. I personally agree with Col (r) Ikram ullah Khan Sahab on every point he raised.

  5. Dear @Sultan Wali khan , I don’t agree with what you wrote on the sense of humour possessed and displayed by Mr Nawaz Shareef . Col (R) Ikram Ullah Khan has raised a pertinent point and i fully agree with his comments . Had the PM been sincere to the people of Pakistan and particularly Chitral , he would not have ridiculed the people of Chitral in a large gathering of his own party . In fact he tried to humiliate Chitrali nation in public and in media . Mr Sultan should know that having a few Chitrali servants for low paid jobs in his house doesn’t mean that a multi billionaire industrialist is a good politician or a sincere friend .

  6. I read the comments of Mr Sultan Wali khan and came to know the secret of the insulting speech of the Prime Minister in Chitral. As Mr Sultan has disclosed it may be either because of the illiterate Class four servants from Chitral or the semi-literate leadership of PML(N) in Chitral that Mian Nawaz Sharif deals with and so presumed all Chitralis to be stupid and shallow wit. That is why he insulted the Chitrali folk twice, both the times in a public address. Thank you Mr Sultan, you opened our eyes.

  7. Apropos Mr.Sultan
    It’s mere narrow mindedness regarding the thought provoking (Ironically) speech of PM of Islamic atomic state about the mountain community (the cultured people). The problem is, we can’t differentiate precisely and accurately those (like PM and our representatives) who always tried to degrade the community by such humor and jokes. while, most of our people say that whats wrong with the PM words about chitrali people. Nothing wrong dear pro-PM group that a person come to say salaam and than abuse you. So what will be your reaction at that moment? For the sake of some already in process projects we can’t humiliate the cultured nation. We need no projects but expecting beautiful words from every person as our grooming is within the dimensions of well defined culture. It is the cultural loftiness and magnanimity of chitrali nation who welcomed such people who don’t care for their feelings. So Col Ikram sir, pin the point with right trigger at a right time.

  8. There is group of anti-Nawz elements who are spreading rumors to malign positive initiatives which PM took for development of Chitral without any political motives. These anti-Nawaz elements have special grudges against PM on the basis of Musharaf factor and they will never accept Nawaz Sharif at any cost and their analysis is full of prejudice and discrimination. People of Chitral except the so called intellectuals appreciated PM initiatives and pray Almighty Allah that the projects are completed and would have Booni and Garacmchasham road widen and improved condition and Hospital and University for the people would complete within the period of present government. I want to ask one question from these anti-nawaz elements where were their good opinions when Zardar cum Gilani completely shelved Lawari tunnel project and Sambo Company shifted its machinery from the site.

  9. PM Zindabad, We appreciate PM visit to Chitral and all the projects announced must be materialized well in time. We also request the negative elements please do not detract people through your biased approaches. Lets celebrate this good event it will bring positive change in Chitral.

  10. After Z.A Bhutto and Pervez Musharaf it is PM Nawaz Sharif who is taking interest in the people of Chitral. We appreciate PM efforts for development of Chitral and also request our PTI brothers and Imran Khan to reciprocate these developmental initiatives and do some tangible projects in Chitral. But unfortunately our CM is injecting all funds in Nowshehra and giving no importance to Chitral. Thank You PM we love you………..people of Chitral

  11. Farooq Ahmed
    I read the comments pro and against the PM’s joke with the poor people of Chitral with great interest. I ask Mr. Kashif to answer my simple question regarding the PM’s unwanted and unwarranted joke in a public meeting. I ask why the PM believes that he will first insult Chitrali people and then announce a project to please them, why? Mr.Kashif should also know that the PM announced only 200 million rupees for Chitral district government whereas he had announced 600 million rupees for the district government of Shangla only 2 months back and it was announced without insulting the people through silly questions. It can be well judged whether the PM has love for Chitral or for Shangla? The ball is now in the court of the Nawaz lovers.

  12. @ Farooq, I am not pro-Nawaz but I am pro-Chitral and live in sub-division Mastuj. Last year devastating flood damaged our power house at Reshun and it has passed one year but our provincial govt is totally oblivious to the situation and we are in precarious condition. Our infrastructure roads and bridges are in dilapidated condition but our CM and other officials are giving no importance to the affected people of Chitral. It is PM who visited Chitral three times and helped calamity hit people of the area through direct support of Rs. 2 billion rehabilitation fund under which 18400 households have been given cheque of Rs. 1 and 2 lac and the whole process was transparent and the cheques given were cross and directly deposited in the accounts of the affected people. Secondly PM is sincere in completion of our vital project that is lawari tunnel but our provincial govt could not complete tiny project of By-pass road. And in present visit PM also announced huge projects for Chitral while our provincial govt is not interested in the matter of Chitral that is why I say PM always zindabad.

  13. Hahah, we the educated, enlightened people of Chitral are very much mature in case of election. In the previous regime of Zardari and Gillani huge cases of corruption took place in Pakistan and in the whole period non of the office bearer of federal govt visited Chitral not to speak of PM and even funds of tunnel diverted to Multan, but look at our political maturity and selection criteria that we elected both MPAs from PPP in reciprocation of diverting lawari tunnel funds to Multan. I am totally agreed with Mr. Kashif that for last three years KP provincial govt and Imran Khan remained totally disinterested in the matter of Chitral. In his visit to Chitral he was briefed by DC Chitral that the roads projects which are going to start in Chitral are funded by federal govt. In reply he became so much angry and left the place by saying that people of Chitral should vote to Mian Nawaz Sharif if he is funding generously for road infrastructure of Chitral. In contrast PM is providing all out support for development of Chitral but we are creating conspiracy theories with lame excuses on the basis of sheer prejudice and personal vendetta. Having such type of prejudice still we claim that we are educated and enlightened……………..what a joke?

  14. On 21st September 2016, just 15 days after his infamous speech in Chitral, the PM is going to address the UN General Assembly in New York. I guess, he will start his speech with 3 questions. The first question will be “do you know English?” The second will be “how many of you know English?” And the third will be “those who know English may raise their hands.” At the end the PM will say “I am delighted that many people over here know English today. When I visited the UNGA last time, no body knew English”. God forbid we again face this situation.

  15. Those who delibratly support the certified glorified non-sense speech and words of PM at chitrl; merely want to joke along with PM on mountain community. The irony is we (chitrali) degrade our dignity and value for the sake of few millions.

  16. Our dignity was degraded at that time when we blocked in Chitral after start of winter season. PM took concrete step to resolve this issue by completing lawari tunnel project. We were degraded at that time when lawari tunnel funds were diverted to Multan and work on the tunnel suspended for four years. When women, children and elderly people stopped at Ziarat point and they can’t cross tunnel. It is the highest time of degradation which we experienced. Why we salute PM, because he took concrete step to resolve tunnel project for good and released Rs. 20 billion for the project since he took oath of the office. Whatever he said in Chitral it was also reflection of his love and sincerity for the people of Chitral like and elder.

    1. Dr. Inayat Ullah Faizi Sahib, The remarks you have mentioned above reflect the quality education and awareness. You have just forgotten your comments are going to be published in social media.

  17. In the last government Dr. Faizi sb wrote number of articles in favor of Zardar cum Gillani govt and was awarded Tamgha Imtiaz. If Nawaz sharif had offered some benefit to Dr. Sb instead of packages to Chitral his comment could be different.

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