GOLD Delegation visits Gilgit to discuss various issues

 

February 27, 2008: A ten member delegation of the Gulmit Organization for Local Development visited Gilgit to meet the chief executive and government officials and discuss various issues of public interest. Led by Afzal Khan, Chairman of the organization, the delegation met Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Chief Executive Northern Areas, Secretary Education and Director of Educaiton Department Gilgit.Issues related to health, education, communication and irrigation were discussed during the meetings. 

Although a 10 bed hospital has been established in Gulmit, the tehsil headquarter, there is acute dearth of trained staff in the hospital, the chief executive was told. The delegation demanded that this hospital shall be properly staffed. They demanded an answer within a weeks time, in this regard. 

Similarly violation of rules in appointments at government girl high school, related to employees below BPS -9, were discussed with the Secreatary Education, Director Education and Chief Executive. According to goverment rules all hirings below the said scale have to be of people belonging to a particular union council but in the case of F.G. Girls High School, Gulmit, this rule has not been followed. The delegation demanded that such illegal hirings shall be annuled and fresh appointments made, according to the established rules. It was also revealed during these meetings that science teachers hired for at higher pay scales, although drawing their pays from the high school in Gulmit, were working in other schools.

Other issues related to water channels, bridges and link roads were also discussed with these government officials and representatives. Numberdar Bai Nazar, Shaban Ali, Sultan Aziz, Mrs. Rauf, Mrs. Karim, Sarbaz Khan, , Muhammad Ali, Sajad Ahmad and Faqeer Karim, cluster GSL, were some of the members of this delegation.

NA Scouts win National Ski Championship Trophy

by Farman Ali 

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: Northern Areas Scouts clinched the 16th National Ski Championship Trophy, defeating the defending champion Pakistan Air Force at the Naltar Ski resort on Tuesday. PAF team stood second and army team were third.

Sixty skiers from all over the country competed for two different categories — Slalom and Giant Slalom events. All 12 ski associations — Sindh, NWFP, Punjab, Balochistan, Islamabad, Alpine Club, Civil Aviation Authority, Northern Areas Ski Federation, Northern Areas Scouts, Adventure Foundation, Army, and PAF — participated in the championship.

Speaking as chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the event at the Naltar, about 30 kilometres from capital city Gilgit, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed commended the Federation on conducting the event in excellent manner. He also appreciated media and corporate sector for projecting such events and encouraging the young players.

Scientific Studies and Our Youth

by Aslam Khan Ghalib 

Significance of explaining the benefits of studying science, in general, and most specifically, the field of biotechnology to the youth of our region, has increased tremendously. Science, since its inception, has insinuated human mind and triggered it to institute innovative. No doubt most of the things instituted are instinctive as during the process of exploration something else is formed with peculiar features that at times gives rise to incitment for its amplification and manipulation.

The world of science has emerged so rapidly in the 20th century that its expediency has grown very crucial for any nation, any social group, or any country around the globe. So it is important to expedite its viability.

Keeping in view its importance in the development of the human beings in different parameters,I would like our talented youth to be part of this “KARAVAN” for endeovering and making long lasting and glowing contributions to the field of science.  

Apart from knowing the past contributions of science it is also imperative to understand its future prospects. Biotechnology is thought to be a market capturing field in 21st century which is completely based on the use of living organisms for benefiting mankind towards a prosperous future.This feild will be used to overcome many economic constraints and will prove to be a field of generosity, field of mutual benefits, field of understanding and exploring nature. Moreover it will be a field that will support human interests at low cost and will also ensure the fulfillment of all their intersets.

Enlisting the top most significances of Biotechnology I would like to call upon the interested young members of the society to embark on to this field with the notion to contribute towards the human kind and to overcome the ongoing crisis that if not overcome could lead to the human extinction with the passage of time.

To be very honest our youth is not very much tilted towards this field and is more towards service industry.Iwould emphasize on this fact that Biotechnology will not only benefit individuals rather the entire humans who are running short of many things like fuel, health facilities, effective medication, quality food, quality crops etc.

Considering the applications and contributions of science towards development of mankind it is important for all those, who have keen interest in science, to join the team of sceintists for a better tommorrow.

Future of NA Legislative Assembly

 

Photo Asghar Khan

 

by Zulfiqar Ali Khan 

As the post election political scenario in Islamabad is becoming clear, it seems that it will also cause political turmoil in Northern Areas. According to news reports, members of PML (Q) in Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) have already started contacting the local and central leadership of PPPP and PML (N). These members of present ruling party in Northern Areas were having affiliations with PPPP and PML (N) before the engineering of PML (Q) during last election. This new development will ultimately lead to changes of loyalties from majority of the members of PML (Q).

The warm and personal relationship of Deputy Chief Executive, Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan with Nawaz Sharif before his dismissal from government is not hidden from anyone. According to a local newspaper, Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan had a long meeting with Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi, of PML (N) in Abbotabad. However, in an interview he said that the members of PML (Q) will remain united in Northern Areas and no one will change his political loyalties. He also praised the Government of PML (Q) for the exemplary development projects completed during last tenure. The President of PML (N) in Northern Areas Hafiz-u-Rehman has also confirmed the contact of Mirza Hussain, Advisor Finance, Planning and border trade in order to join PML (N). However, he said that the central leadership will decide on this issue after consulting the local leadership.

Similarily, Haji Abdul Qudoos, Advisor Health, Abdul Hammed, Advisor Tourism, Asad Zaidi, Deputy Speaker, Fida Muhammad Nashad, former Deputy Chief executive, Imran Nadeem, former Advisor Health and Tourism, Wazir Willayat, and Ghulam Nabi are also using back channels to join PPPP. The General Secretary PPPP, Syded Mahdi Shah has said that there is no place for Lotas in PPPP and the central committee makes decisions after consulting the local level leaderships.

This scenario clearly indicates a new ‘lotacracy’ in Northern Areas which could decree the end of present NALA setup. The new political situation is also creating uncertainties for the implementation of the presidential packages of President Musharaf to the Northern Areas. Both the winning parties are having provincial autonomy as a top priority. Therefore, people of Northern Areas are also expecting any meaningful steps to address the wider issues of constitutional neglect and political disempowerment in the Northern Areas

Hunza-Nagar View

A Panoramic View of Central Hunza and Nagar from the historic Baltit Fort.

Photo by Taufeeq

Red Tape hurting Doctor’s Careers in Gilgit – Baltistan

By Farman Ali  

Medical profession in Gilgit-Baltistan has been a victim of discrimination as far as advancement in career is concerned since local doctors took over from the army doctors who manned the earliest facilities in the mountains. 

It was during the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto government in 1970s that seats in medical colleges and other professional institutions were reserved for the students of Gilgit-Baltistan, officially known as Northern Areas, enabling local doctors to replace the army medicos within a few years.  

Medical and dental officers were recruited in BPS-17 by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) as in other parts of the country but the similarity ended there. Doctors in Northern Areas have no set rules of promotion or career advancement unlike other groups of civil servants like engineers and administration personnel.   

There are examples of father and son working in the same grade, the former after 30 years of service and the son joining service just a few years before his retirement. The first doctor of the health department inducted in BPS-17 retired a few years ago in BPS-18 after completion of 30 years of service while during that period some matriculates starting career as clerks in other departments got promoted to the ranks of deputy secretaries and other executive posts reaching up to BPS-19/20.  

Similarly engineers recruited in BPS-17 were promoted to the post of chief engineer or even secretary works without any further postgraduate qualification. But no such service structure exists for medical doctors. 

“Without proper service incentives and promotion doctors in the Northern Areas cannot be expected to devote themselves to their work whole-heartedly. Frustration is resulting in sense of deprivation and depression among doctors. Three senior doctors had cardiac arrest and six more doctors have gone through angioplasties for their stress induced cardiac problems,” a senior physician told this reporter.   

Although government had decided to bring pay scales and fringe benefits of government employees of Northern Areas at par with their counterparts working in other parts of the country but for unknown reasons this decision still awaits implementation.  

The Punjab government decided to introduce service structure for grant of promotion to neglected categories specially doctors.  

Accordingly an appropriate percentage of posts in different cadres were upgraded and incumbents were promoted on the basis of required length of service without raising the need to frame fresh rules of recruitment. 

In Gilgit-Baltistan service structure of doctors was approved in March 2007 by the Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas division with the directives to finalise seniority lists of each cadre, and placement of some percentage of posts of each cadre in subsequent higher pay scale but after one year no action has been taken. In stead the health department, probably due to misunderstanding or lack of knowledge about the policy/procedure in similar cases adopted by the Punjab government, has started framing fresh recruitment rules which will delay promotions for several years as the new rules will have to be approved before implementation.    

In the meantime under the programme of modernising existing and two newly-established District Headquarters hospitals in Gilgit-Baltistan recently, a large number of posts including medical/dental officers and specialists in BPS-18/19 have been created.  

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has demanded that these posts be filled up without delay.  

It is feared that as happened in the case of DHQ Hospital Chilas, delay in finalisation of rules may result in the surrender of the vacancies. Ultimately not only doctors will be deprived of appointment/promotion opportunity but the people of Northern Areas will again fail to expand their health care system. 

It is difficult to understand why the rules prevalent in Punjab and other provinces cannot be adopted in Gilgit-Baltistan.  As a consequence of official neglect many doctors are leaving government service to work with private clinics while the appointment of specialists in government hospitals has been delayed. The health facilities are already deficient in the region. There is no sense if these are further depleted through red tape and discriminatory policies.

High Mountain Research

By Zulfiqar Ali Khan 

“Research is the bedrock and lifeblood of both educational and the overall development of a nation. It not only provides the information-base for researchers, educationists, and scholars for further evolution and dissemination of existing knowledge but also facts and figures for planners, policy makers and development bodies to plan according to their specific needs. There is lack of research culture and institutions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Many international organisations and individuals have conducted valuable research projects but the results are not accessible to the local people”

Read More in Daily DAWN 

International Mother Language Day

Noor

(Updated) 

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO’s General Conference in November 1999. Since then the day has been celebrated to strengthen linguistic and cultural diversity and multinlingualism. Most recently it was celebrated on 21 February the world over.

The importance of celebrating such a day is evident in the wake of a rapid globalization that threatens the very existence of smaller cultural identities. Unfortunately in our part of the world such ‘small’ matters don’t get due consideration because of poverty, illiteracy and lack of sensitization about preservation and promotion of cultural heritages.

Gilgit – Baltistan is a unique region because of its lingual and cultural diversity.  Shina (Gilgiti- Chilasi – Puniali – Hunzai), Balti, Burushaski (Hunzai- Nagari – Yasini), Wakhi (Gojali – Iskhomani), Khowar (Chitrali), Kohistani, Domaki and Gojari are some of the large and smaller languages spoken in the region. Considering the small population of the entire region, calculated optimistically at not more than two million people,  we will appreciate the average population that speaks a certain language or a dialect.

 Shina is the largest language, spoken in all districts of Gilgit – Baltistan, including all its variations. Shina is followed by Balti, spoken in the Baltistan region, comprising of Ghangche and Skardu districts. Burushaski is spoken in two districts, three variations, and is the third largest language of the region.  Burushaski is a rare language that is spoken in the northern areas only.

Wakhi, on the other hand, is spoken in different parts of some Central Asian Countries besides Gilgit – Baltistan and Chitral. The total number of people who speak Wakhi, internationaly, is calculated at around 60 ,000. Khowar, the official language of Chitral, is understood and spoken throughout Ghizar District. Similarly Gojari is spoken by a very small number of people in some parts of Gilgit – Baltistan.

All of these languages are at different stages of growth and development. Khowar, probably, is the most developed language of all. By far it has developed a rich collection of prose and poetry. But this has little to do with the Khowar speakers living in Gilgit – Baltistan. Most of the development, modernization, has taken place in Chitral, hearland of this sweet language. 

Burushaski, for all good reasons, is the second most developed language of the region, in my opinion.  While Burushaski poetry touches its zenith in the poems of Dr. Naseer Ud Din Hunzai a lot of work is required to develop Burushaski prose. Burushaski is the only language in the region in which the holy Quran has been translate, recently, by Alwaiz Ghulam Udin.

Balti is unique because apart from advances in poetry and prose there is a significant growth in Balti drama literature. Similarly Shina has developed to a large extent in almost all fields of lingual expression. Shina poetry, probably, is the most advanced form of literature.

Wakhi, despite of being an internationally spoken language, is yet to start its journey of developemnt. Wakhi poetry has developed significantly but efforts are still underway to develop a writing script for the language. Storry telling literature is available but not written, yet.

Domaki, in my opinion, is the most important language of our region. It is a unique language of the blacksmith. Discouraged by social stigmas, stereotypes and ridicule the language is threatened. Little efforts have so far been made to preserve the language and develop it on modern lines. Gojri language also faces the same fate, albeit, at a less intense scale.

The need is to instill (if needed), promote and stenghten pride of the people in their mother languages.  We all must be proud of our linguistic heritage. If we are not proud of our languages today and, more importantly, if we do not donate our time and knowledge to develop them then at some time the coming generation may not be able to know what the languages of their forefathers were.

Towards the end let me share a poetry written by Nazir Ahmad Bulbul, a towering Wakhi poet, a painter and an educationst.

Nazir Poetry <<<<<<<<CLICK HERE TO READ The Roman Wakhi Script based graphic image by Aejaz Karim

I have tried to translate this poetry into English.

I Was Shephered, I am Shepherd

I am proud that I am Wakhi, I was Shepherd, I am Shepherd

I am the language of absolute faith, I was Shepherd, I am Shepherd

_______________ 

In the past I owned cattle, now I am in the pasture-hut of Knowledge

Herding thougths and ideas, I was Shepherd, I am Shepherd

______________________ 

Holding  stick of pen in hand, my luggage of voyage are my books

Exploring the butter-store of knowledge, I was Shepherd, I am Shepherd

___________________________

Skimming the butter of intellect, from the delicious curd of knowledge

Decanting the milk of ideas, I was Shephered, I am Shepherd

___________________________

The entire world is our green field, everywhere we nestle to herd

In every field, at every slope, I was Shephered, I am Shepherd

_______________________________ 

I am Shepherd of my faith, I am Shepherd of the light and Quran

The most brilliant in all these times, I was Shephered, I am Shepherd

_____________________ 

Oh Wakhi!  remember when you could not speak, it is the vision of thy Master

(so) Once in a time, inquire thy truth, I was Shepwhered, I am Shepherd

________________________________________ 

Note: My language skills and inability to exactly translate the meanings of some of the Wakhi words might limit the scope and impact of this beautful poem. But in the words of Nazir himself

“it tells us that our roles and forms of earning livelihood might change but we must not forget our past and be proud of our cultural heritage”.

 

Northern Areas Scouts win Shah Khan Cup Ski Championship

by Farman Ali 

   ISLAMABAD, Feb 23: Northern Areas Scouts won Shah Khan Ski Cup at the Ski Resort, Naltar in Gilgit on Friday. About 44 skiers from 12 teams demonstrated their skills in two events — Slalom and Super Giant Slalom. Mir Nawaz Jr. of Northern Areas Scouts (NAS) won gold medal in Super Giant Slalom and Mohammad Javed of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) grabbed gold medal in Slalom.

Mir Nawaz also bagged silver medal in Super Giant Slalom while Abdul Baqi got bronze medal in this category. Hashim Khan of NAS got silver medal in Super Giant Slalom and Ejaz Hussain of army bronze medal.

Ski Federation of Pakistan named this contest after Fl-Lt Shah Khan who established Ski Training School at Naltar in the early 60s. The teams which took part in the Shah Khan Cup were Sindh, NWFP, Punjab, Balochistan, Islamabad, Alpine Club, Civil Aviation Authority, Northern Areas, Ski Federation, Northern Areas Scouts, Pakistan Army and also the PAF which is the pioneer of skiing in Pakistan.

 National Championship

 Meanwhile the 16th National Skiing championship will start at Naltar today allowing Skiing Federation of Pakistan an opportunity to select probables for the Winter Olympics 2010. Nearly 60 players, including children and women from nearly a dozen teams will compete in different categories of the championship. 

Skiing Federation of Pakistan president Air Vice-Marshal Shahid Latif said that the SFP was making concerted efforts to promote skiing and in this regard hiring foreign coaches to groom young players and for their training. The SFP has approached the skiing federations of Sweden and Austria for hiring the services of a qualified coach who will also impart modern techniques to Pakistani coaches besides training the players.

   

AVM Latif said Naltar would be turned into an international standard facility capable of holding international competitions which were necessary to promote this otherwise expensive game in Pakistan. Besides, he said, another first-class skiing resort would be developed at Ayubia near Nathiagali while all the units affiliated with SFP had been directed to popularise and open up this game to the public.

In response to a question, SFP secretary Air Commodore Musarrat Ali said that grant of Rs4 million received from the government had been spent on purchasing new skiing equipment like snow-pressing machine for use at Naltar.
 

16th National Ski Championship from 23rd February, at Naltar Gilgit

ISLAMABAD : As many as 60 players will take part in the 16th National Ski Championship starting from February 23 in Naltar, Gilgit. Ski Federation of Pakistan (SFP) president Shahid Latif told reporters here on Wednesday that 12 teams would fight for top honours in the six-day national event. “The event will be an opportunity for the upcoming skiers to show their skills and excel at national level,” he added.

Shahid said the SFP would also select top players for a training camp after the national championship. “The SFP is focusing on the Winter Olympics 2010. The federation will also hire the services of a foreign coach for the national skiers.” He said the federation was considering hiring a coach from Sweden or Austria. Responding to a question, the SFP chief said the federation had requested Iran, Tajkistan and Turkey to participate in Pakistan’s national competition this year but the said countries refused to participate due to security concerns. He said the SFP was making efforts to establish an international standard ski resort in Naltar.

Source: Daily Times