Rally seeks promotion of education in Kalash valleys

KALASH, April 22: To increase enrollment ratio in the government primary schools of Kalash valleys, a rally was organized by the education department and Alif Ailaan (Transforming Education Pakistan).

Education Department and Alif Ailaan held education rally in Kalash VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Students from government high school Mumuret (Bumborate) and primary schools participated in the rally. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with the messages asking parents to enroll their children in schools and the people at large to vote for education. There was also a message for politicians: “Give us education, take a vote.’’ The rally started from government high school at Brun Mumuret and passed through various villages and after covering more than three kilometers area. The students were also chanting slogans in favor of education.

Address the rally, Wazir, the headmaster of govt. high school Mumuret, said ‘’the school has shortage of rooms and there are more than 600 students enrolled for middle and high classes.” He said it is the only high school for three Kalasha valleys and is providing co-education facilities.

Addressing teachers and students, Luke Rehmat, the district network coordinator Alif Ailaan, said Pakistan is facing hard time due to low enrollment rates and lack of education facilities. He said 25 million children were out of schools in Pakistan and the drop-out rate was so high. He emphasized to enroll as many students as possible and also urged students ask their parents, friends to vote for education to make education number one priority in Pakistan.

Due to lack of facilities in state own schools students and teachers are facing hardship. He said one can imagine by visiting the only high school in Mumuret that it is ranked second in terms of the number of students after government centennial school of Chitral town. There are above 80 students in a classroom and how it would be possible for a teacher to impart quality of education to students.

New board of directors elected for KPDN

Kalash 21 April: Speakers at a board of directors meeting highlighted the achievement of Kalash People’s Development Network. KPDN is only organization in Kalash valleys which is making progress in social sector since its inception in 2005 as a community support local organization and KPDN emerged as one of the true organization and dedicated members working day night for developmental and conservational projects in Kalash valleys.

A press release issued on Thursday said that the KPDN’s board of directors’ election held at KPDN head office in Kalash valley Mumuret village Anish. After two consecutive meeting of 22 executive body of the organization nominated 13 members for board of directors.

‘’We don’t want selection we want election’’ said Luke Rehmat during a briefing session of the meeting.

The BoD of KPDN consisted of members from three valleys of Kalash including Mumuret, Rukmu and Biriu and three people were contested presidential election, namely Unat Baig from Biriu valley, Gumaira from Mumuret valley and Gul Nazar from Rukmu valley. Two females and one male was contestant.

The final election was decided by toss among three candidates and Gul Nazar elected as chairperson of KPDN. For the sectary general BoD members unanimously elected Imran Kabir as a sectary general of the organization.

For the rest of BoD Gumaira elected as vice chairperson, Baras Khan elected as vice chairman, Yasir Ali elected as sectary public relation and Diaana elected as sectary finance for the organization.

The KPDN BoD is a collection of like minded peoples balanced in terms of gender and including elders and educated youth from Kalasha valleys, the KPDN is a true representative of Kalasha peoples. The youth of the valleys are determined to work hard for education, health, culture, forest, tourism, sports and many more on the platform of KPDN.

Soon KPDN is forming advisory board that will include national and international experts and it was decided during the meeting.

The meeting was participated by the following members Unat baig, Baras Khan, Wazir Zada, Akram Hussian, Bakhtawar Shah, Yasir Ali, Syed Gul, Shamim,Hazrat Gul,Misro Khunza,Gumaira, Sher Alam, Said Ahmad, Subhan Udin, Gul Nazar, Imran Kabir, Shaukat Ali, Fazal Azim, Ishfaq Sagar and Luke Rehmat.

The Kalash Peoples of Pakistan are going to Boycotts upcoming Election 2013

Chitral 12 April: Speakers at a press conference highlight the issues of discrimination and exploitation of Kalasha rights. Kalasha peoples said that they are boycotting upcoming general election of 2013.

Kalasha Peoples boycotts upcoming elections 2013 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

A press release issued on Friday said that the Kalasha community living in western part of district Chitral KPK, Pakistan in three V-shaped valleys known as Mumuret (Bumboret), Rukmu (Rumboor) and Biriu (Birir) including Acuagha (Achalgha) are belonging to indigenous minority.

The Kalasha tribe is unique due to culture, ethnic and religious festivities and well known around the globe.

The Kalasha are only indigenous community in Pakistan registered with UN-ECOSOC as indigenous peoples of Pakistan.

According to unverified sources Kalasha peoples came in Chitral in 327 B.C and ruled the region till 14 A.D, their kingdom scattered to Chakansari including Nooristan.

The political changes have brought the community to a jeopardized stage of their existence. The Kalasha peoples Population has ultimately abridged to around 4000 only.

The Kalasha peoples are very grateful to their Muslim brothers of district Chitral. They have always provided honored and respected to their Kalasha brothers. But unfortunately Kalasha peoples remained Isolated under the hands government. Regarding this clear evidence is that government has ignored Kalasha basic and legal ethnic and religious identity.

The NADRA has included all religions, but no room left for Kalasha as results Kalasha have no choice left to show their identity as an indigenous ethnic community.

In 1973 constitution Kalasha was included in scheduled cast in group of Hindu, Sikh and Parsi etc and there was reserved seat for this group at provincial assembly and we were given option to select our representative and the elected members were somehow giving importance to us.

But unfortunately in 2002 the constitution was dissolved and the right of minorities had given to political parties. The minorities elected through this reserved seats system for a decade ignored Kalasha peoples when we asked them they used to say that we did not take any vote from you and why we give importance to you.

Our demand from Government of Pakistan:

1. Implementation of UN Declaration

United Nation Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples: Resolution adapted by the General Assembly.

Publication Date: 2 October 2007

Citation/Document Symbol: A/RES/61/295

Reference: Sixty fist Session

Government of Pakistan is signatory to this declaration and bound to make necessary legislation for the protection of ‘’indigenous peoples’’ but unfortunately government did not consider Kalasha ethnic peoples and therefore Kalasha peoples remained isolated.

2. Restoration of 1973 constitution for minorities in Pakistan is needed as the 1973 constitution has restored for majority after 18^th amendment.

3. Officially inclusion and recognition of Kalasha ethnic, religion, indigenous system in NADRA database.

4. According to UN declaration especial legislation for indigenous peoples of Kalasha and separate reserved seats in provincial assembly and national assembly has demanded.

With aforesaid demands we are boycotting upcoming general election in Pakistan and do not accepting the method of selection we want election system to elect our own representatives and we will not take part in the election process until our demands didn’t considered.

Regarding the solution of the issues we have formed ‘’Kalasha rights committee’’ any political parties, government official would be interested to resolve the issues could be table talk with the committee to resolve the problem

At the end we appealed prime minister, election commission, president of Pakistan to take so-Moto action to resolve the issues immediately.

A dozens of elders and youth spoken on the occasion names Wazir Zada, Nabaig advocate, Maihik Shai, Unat Baig, Abdul Sattar, Katar Sing, Yasing, Mir Bacha, Bajor, Mirak Shah, Noor Shali, Sher Zada, Baras Khan, Shah Hussian, Gul Froz, Javeed Bagali, Jahangir Khan, Shah Zia, Duad Shah, Sher Dul, Fazali Ahmad and Luke Rehmat.

Nomination papers of Wazir Zada Kalasha accepted

By Our Correspondent Published: April 5, 2013

PESHAWAR:  The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday accepted at least 22 nomination papers of candidates vying for seats reserved for minorities in the provincial legislature.

An ECP official said 22 nomination papers were screened and accepted out of a total of 30 candidates. Approval of nomination papers of eight candidates were put on hold till Friday (today) due to various issues, he added.

At least 70 nomination papers were filed by aspiring candidates for minority seats in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly. This number dropped to 30 after political parties sent in their priority lists to the ECP, explained the official.

There are two seats reserved for minorities in the K-P Assembly.

The nominees

The Awami National Party has nominated Gulshan Yousaf Bhatti and Jetandar Singh; Pakistan Peoples Party has chosen Yousaf George, Naseeb Chand, Parvindar Kumar, Babar and Jaswant Das; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has named Azeem Ghuri, Shakeel Chandar, Nighat Bibi, Fareed Chand and Younas Gul; Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has nominated Suran Singh, Ravi Kumar and Wazir Zada; Jamaat-e-Islami has chosen Rashid Masih, Ganga Wesh, Suresh Kumar and Sari Chand; Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has named Askar Pervez, Felix and Gorsarn Lal; Qaumi Watan Party has selected Qaseem Din, Junaid Saqib and Riaz Malik.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2013

The People of Chitral demanding priority seat for Kalash community from PTI

Chitral: First time in the history of Pakistan PTI has allotted reserved seat to Kalash minority. During Imran Khan’s visit to Chitral the people of Chitral demanded Pakistan Tereek-e-Insaf (PTI) to give priority ticket to Kalash community. Today there are rumors that PTI has not included Wazir Zada in priority list even. Thousands of people from UC Ayun including Kalash valleys and Chitral are not only disturbed but very disappointed to learn this unfortunate news from some reliable sources. PTI will lost support of youth if it continue to ignoring youth on ticket allocation since PTI has promised to tell the truth to its nation if it failed to deliver such promises may cause desperate among workers.

To know about the rumors The Kalasha Times contacted, Wazir Zada about the facts, while talking to this subscriber Wazir said ‘’I am in Islamabad yesterday there was important meeting of PTI parliamentary board and I am still expecting that PTI would not do injustice with me’’ He added ‘’it’s high time for PTI to get supports of youth and everyone in the country by implementing PTI’s slogan for change’’

Wazir did not disappoint as he hope (Umeed bass umeed) PTI will not discourage youth and minorities, as the PTI is a movement of justice and how it can do injustice with minorities that remained deprived from their basic rights since birth of Pakistan.

To get more views from people in Chitral this subscriber contacted Sartaj Ahmad ex-Tehsil Nazim and a social worker Sartaj Said ‘’during meeting of Chitral chamber of commerce with Imran Khan in Chitral I have urged him to give priority ticket to Kalash minority and he promised me that PTI will alleviated Kalasha peoples deprivation by awarding priority seat to Kalash community’’ He added ‘’PTI can win our hearts if it allotted priority ticket to Wazir Zada Kalash indeed he is a young and well know political figure in Kalash and  social worker, giving priority to him can be very positive for the future of PTI in Chitral’’.

A number of youth including ex-secretary PTI UC Ayun Ghoar said ‘’I am feeling very shame that our PTI could not sustain its promise’’ he added that if PTI failed to enlist Wazir Zada for minority seat then we have no way to talk with people, he says we will faced embarrassment in public and therefore I may quit being PTI activist’’

There are more to say but a message that was circulating on cell phones caught eye of this report and the massage has quoted ‘’ Wazir Zada Kalash is the only non Pashtun minority candidate belonging to a community which is internationally declared as an indigenous community, Hindus, siks and Christian already belong to the ruling elites of the world…not respecting our own indigenous communities will speak allot about the moral and intellectual grounds we are standing upon ‘’Israrudin G.S PTI Chitral’’

Kalash shepherd’s goats killed in fire

Report Luke Rehmat
KALASHA, March 31: A fire damaged the cattle pen of a shepherd in the Darasguru village of Kalash valley and killed dozens of goats on Saturday night.
The fire at Baharam Shah’s cattle pen erupted at about 11:30pm when he and his family were asleep in their house.
According to local sources, after feeding baby goats, the shepherd went to his home at night. Later, they came to know that a fire had erupted at the cattle pen. All villagers along the shepherd rushed to the area and tried to save the goats and the house but most of the animals had died. The shepherd told theKalashatimes that ‘’It was 12 night when me and my family reached the place but the fire had already engulfed the pen and more than 45 goats had burnt to ashes.’’ He added that his family had lost the goats and shepherd house. When asked what was the possible cause of fire, Ms. Gumaira of the house said the shepherd used some local woods for light as there was no electricity inside the house and they forgot to put out the fire and went to bed. She said ’many goats were in serious condition’. Since last few years, Kalasha shepherds and goats are no safer in the valleys, there are lot of accidents of fire, intruders attacks and declining forest resources that may leave the Kalasha helpless. Goats are an important part of the Kalasha religion, culture and tradition.

Parent’s and results day celebrated in Kalasha Dur.

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Kalash: Speakers at a Parents & Results day in a local private school highlight the issues of education in Kalash valleys Chitral district. Speakers have are appreciated efforts of local school for providing quality education. A press release issued on Saturday … Continue reading →