Heritage Magazine Issue #26

CONTENTS

ourHeritageA HOME OF RICH HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

ISSUE 26

01

15

53

51

05

05 Kalash

or Kalasha , a very mysterious word, whenever it is spoken, one could imagine the wearer of black robes , the people with light skin, practicing the ancient paganic rituals in the cold/ freezing nights of the serene valleys of Hindukush.

01 Masjid Mahabat Khan

Mahabat Khan’s real name was amana Baig Kabuli. His date of birth is not known. He died in 1634. He was a prominent Mughal general and statesman, perhaps best known for his coup against the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1626.

15 Hashoo Foundation

Hashoo foundation with financial support from GIZ initiated a project “livelihood through Early Childhood Development training”,

33 Book Review

The upstairs Wife: Emotionally moving, extremely enticing and thoroughly enjoyable, The Upstairs Wife by Rafia Zakaria is an amazing tale told in the simplest of English yet most convincing of styles.

35 Mystic Festivals A nation’s integrity is perceived through its strength and in the continuity of cultures and traditions and not necessarily by an overgrown population comprising of good and evil.

25 Dr. Abdus Salam On 21st November, the Nation honors the anniversary of its noble laureate Abdus Salam (died in 1996). Born on 29th January, 1926 in a small town: Jhung, then a part of British India. Style Rising

from the east in France

43

Our Heritage is an in-house magazine of Hashoo Group-Hotel Division. No part of it may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Views expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of Editorial Board. Responsibility of the contents of the advertisements lies with advertisers. Our Heritage is published by Pakistan Services Limited for Hashoo Group-Hotel Division.

This magazine has been prepared by Events, Marketing & Communications Department, Pakistan Services Limited

For advertisements and articles for this magazine, marketing-related proposals, joint promotions and co-branding etc. with Hashoo Group Hotels, please contact

Vice PresidentEvents, Marketing & Communications DepartmentNESPAK House, Ground Floor, Ataturk AvenueG-5/2, Islamabad, PakistanTel: +92-51-2272890-98 • Fax: +92-51-2274812Email: [email protected]

Editor’s Note

EDITORIAL BOARD

Andrew AshmoreTahir Mahmood Khan

Mubashir AzizArslan Ahmed

Hashoo Hotels’ awards-winning in-house magazine “our Heritage”, enables the readers to learn about our heritage sites, historical values, traditions and cultures, ecology, and the latest trends of Pakistan. This magazine has been instrumental in promoting Pakistan’s positive image at the international level.

I am very thankful to my team members, contributors, and the management of Hashoo Hotels’ for their outright support.

The readers’ valuable suggestions have also played a pivotal role in further improving the quality of the magazine.

TAHIR MAHMOOD KHANEDITOR, OUR HERITAGE

E-mail: [email protected]








I would like to offer my best wishes to all readers for a happy and prosperous New Year. 2015 passed by with various ups and downs around the world, some were shocking and insufferable tragedies. Pakistan also saw some social, political, security and economic hardships, but Alhamdulillah, relatively it remained quite stable, and will continue to remain stronger, In Sha Allah. Let’s pray that the year 2016 proves to be progressive, peaceful and prosperous for Pakistan. The country is full of opportunities and more importantly it is a country for entire Muslim World to support and stand with them in difficult times. Stronger Pakistan is vital not only for its people but for the Muslim World as well.

At the same time, we must pardon each other’s errors and prejudices of the past and present, and support one another in the common struggle of attaining peace in our land. Let’s make a fresh start and set ambitious goals to become the best, truest, happiest and most fulfilled version of ourselves. I am sure and confident that Pakistan has all the potential to weather any storm.

Collectively, we can surely make Pakistan a symbolic country in the world. Our efforts will create awareness among our children and our collective dreams of a prosperous Pakistan will definitely come true,

In Sha Allah.Pakistan Zindabad!

Mr. Sadaruddin HashwaniChairman, Hashoo Group

Chairman’s Message


“You simply need to board the fast train with this belief and see for yourself how quicklyand far it takes you.”

I would like to offer my best wishes to all readers for a happy and prosperous New Year. 2015 passed by with various ups and downs around the world, some were shocking and insufferable tragedies. Pakistan also saw some social, political, security and economic hardships, but Alhamdulillah, relatively it remained quite stable, and will continue to remain stronger, In Sha Allah. Let’s pray that the year 2016 proves to be progressive, peaceful and prosperous for Pakistan. The country is full of opportunities and more importantly it is a country for entire Muslim World to support and stand with them in difficult times. Stronger Pakistan is vital not only for its people but for the Muslim World as well.

At the same time, we must pardon each other’s errors and prejudices of the past and present, and support one another in the common struggle of attaining peace in our land. Let’s make a fresh start and set ambitious goals to become the best, truest, happiest and most fulfilled version of ourselves. I am sure and confident that Pakistan has all the potential to weather any storm.

Collectively, we can surely make Pakistan a symbolic country in the world. Our efforts will create awareness among our children and our collective dreams of a prosperous Pakistan will definitely come true,

In Sha Allah.Pakistan Zindabad!


Chairman’s Message


“You simply need to board the fast train with this belief and see for yourself how quicklyand far it takes you.”

MAHABAT KHANMahabat Khan’s real name was Zamana Baig Kabuli. His date

of birth is not known. He died in 1634. He was a prominent Mughal general and statesman, perhaps best known for his

coup against the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1626. Mahabat Khan was born in Kabul,

By: Dr. Shaukat Mehmood

Afghanistan to a distinguished and wealthy Rizvi Sayyid family. His father, Ghayur Baig Kabuli, was a native of Shiraz, Iran, who migrated to Kabul and settled among the local tribes. Ghayur Baig began his career in the army of Mirza Muhammad Hakim, the Mughal ruler of Afghanistan, and upon the death of Mirza Hakim in July, 1585, he migrated to India with his family, and entered into the service of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.

Upon his arrival in India, Zamana Baig enjoyed a rapid ascent though the ranks of the Mughal army. He began his military career in the personal forces of Crown Prince Salim (Emperor Jahangir). Having endeared himself to the crown prince, he was soon made an officer in charge of 500 men.

Upon Jahangir rise to the throne in 1605, he was granted the honorific title Mahabat Khan, and was promoted to the rank of commander of 1,500 men, and bakhshi (treasurer) of the emperor’s private treasures.

Mahabat Khan rose to prominence in 1623, when he was made commander of the Mughal forces sent to defeat the unsuccessful rebellion of Prince Khurram (Emperor Shahjahan) in the Deccan. For his loyal service, he was recognized as a ‘pillar of the state’, and was ultimately promoted to chief commander, sipah salar-i azam of the Mughal army, with a personal force of 7,000 soldiers.

The history of the city of Peshawar is very old and a city that has seen numerous invaders who came to the subcontinent via Khyber Pass. Pass has very less to offer as far Muslim architecture is concerned, specially the Mughal architecture. However, Masjid Mahabat Khan is the only structure that stands today in a narrow ally of the “Andar Shehar Bazaar” of the old city, that reminds

of the

glory the Mogul empire and their love for construction, specially the mosques. The mosque was built in 1670 A.D, during the rule of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan by Mahabat Khan, the governor of Peshawar. Since the mosque was financed and funded by him, the mosque became to be known as Masjid Mahabat Khan. The mosque is masterpiece of Mughal architecture, set among the gold and silversmith shops. It has a narrow but massive entrance on the eastern side that leads to a large prayer courtyard. There is another massive gateway on the northern side that precedes a large flight of steps. In the middle of the courtyard is a cool blue tiled ablution pond. The court is surrounded by hujras on three sides

our Heritage | 2

on the western side is the beautiful sanctuary of the mosque. The main hall is lavishly decorated inside with floral work and calligraphy. The top of the mosque is covered by three fluted domes, while two tall minarets stand on each flank of the main hall.

Like all other Muslim buildings that were looted, destroyed and plundered during the Sikhs occupation of Punjab and north-western areas, this mosque was also no exception. Its blue tiles and ornamental plates were ruthlessly removed and whisked away. “During the appointment of General Avitabile, an Italian mercenary, as the governor of Peshawar, every day before breakfast, he would have a few local men hurled from the top of the minaret of the Mosque to “teach a lesson to the unruly tribesmen”. His cruelty has passed into the folklore of the walled city, for naughty children are often warned of the wrath of “Abu Tabela”, a local corruption of ‘Avitabile’.

The main domes and the minarets were destroyed by the Sikh rulers by fire in 1898 A.D. and were only saved by the unremitting efforts of the faithful.Most probably this accounts for their poor proportions and design. The mosque was later rebuilt by the British. Avitabile joined the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1827, and later also received various civilian appointments. In 1829 he was made administrator of Wazirabad and in 1837 he succeeded Hari Singh Nalwa as governor of Peshawar. With a ruthless, at times brutal, style of government, Avitabile established order in the province where he became known as ‘father of horror’. Summary executions became usual, and it is said that he would have people executed by throwing them from the top of the minarets of Mahabat Khan’s mosque. He remained in the Punjab until the assassination of Maharaja Sher

Singh in 1843, after which he retired to Italy, where his rank as a general was confirmed and he was knighted.

This mosque design and decoration-wise shows a departure fro other Mughal mosques. It is aesthetically weak and overall look appears rugged. The mosque has a sanctuary with five arched openings within large pointed arches. This arrangement is not impressive. There are three onion-shaped or melon-shaped domes above the sanctuary, their placing is queer. The main central dome is larger and rests on the bay behind the central arched entrance but the flanking domes are not exactly over the bays behind the arched entrances. This arrangement looks bizarre to a design conscious eye.

The two minarets standing at the two ends of the sanctuary are not elegant either. They do not have good proportions, they look fat and short. Like wise their overhanging galleries look heavy. They are not resting on any brackets depriving them of an elegant feature. Cupola over the top story is albeit proportionate and elegant.

The façade of the sanctuary also has five turrets introduced over in between the pilasters of five entranced. The mosque is slightly smaller than the Wazir Khan Mosque of Lahore. The sahn (courtyard) has an ablution pond in the middle paved with azure ceramic tiles. The main entrance today has become obscure due to unruly constructions opposite it and too close to it. The main entrance has also two turrets at it corners. Interior of the sanctuary is elegantly embellished and that remains the most attractive part of the mosque. Fresco-work bearing floral and geometric designs though painted time and time again maintains a fair amount of elegance.

Picture Courtesy:beautifulmosque.com3 | our Heritage

5 | our Heritage

Chitral is home of lofty mountain peaks, the most famous of them all is Mount Terichmir with the altitude of 7708 m, the higest peak in Hindukush mountain range.

Once Chitral was a princely state and it was merged into Pakistan by the Mehtars (rulers) of Chitral in 1969. Chitral is located at some 360 Km from Peshawar and 500 Km from Islamabad through Lowari pass 3100 m and tunnel although the pass is operational in summers but in winters it is covered with heavy snow so the traffic is operational through Lowari tunnel, that is still under construction. In the north, it is connected to Gilgit city through Shandoor pass 3700 at 360 Km. On the other hand 3 weekly flights from Islamabad and Peshawar to Chitral are operated by PIA, but are weather bound.

Kalash or Kalasha , a very mysterious word, whenever it is spoken, one could imagine the wearer of black robes , the people with ligh skin, practicing the ancient paganic

rituals in the cold/freezing nights of the serene valleys of Hindukush.

By: Syed Imran Shah

our Heritage | 6

Kalash is still an enigma to the researchers, sceintists and historians of the modern world , somewhere the Kalasha claim to be the descendants of Alexander of Mecedonia and somewhere the writers term them as Indo-Aryans, different hypothesis are there , but as a matter of fact, alot of work is still in progress to discover their identity and tracing their ancestary.

Some 5000 Kalash people are living in the 3 valleys of Chitral, named as Rumbur, Bamborate and Birir, however , Bamborate and Rumbur valleys are connected to eachother through a diversion known as Dobazh, some 45 Km from Chitral town, normally 2 hrs drive to the both from the main town, but Birir valley is a bit isolated and having a very bad road, the tourists mostly avoid it due to difficult road conditions.

Bamborate is frequently visited by the local tourists, being easily

accessible and the biggest valley in terms of area and population and it has got good hotels/guest houses too but on the contrary, the foreign tourists prefer to visit Rumbur valley, that is smaller, less touristy and the access is difficult too because of bad road conditions.

Their economy is based upon agriculture and livetstock, men graze the livestock in the high pastures in summers and in winters they stay in the lower pastures not far from the villages and whatever they grow they store them for the harsh winter months when the valleys are hit by snow and blizzards from December till March.

Firewood and timber is attained from the nearby forests for construction and other household purpose , besides that they also grow fruits like walnut, apricot, mulberry, grapes and apple etc. and store them for winters, the wooden storages could be seen near the villages when one visits Kalash valleys, that are called “Phasti” .

As stated earlier in the above lines that Kalasha have been living in the 3 valleys of Hindu kush for centuries but in the recent days

7 | our Heritage

So my expedition continues to Jinjiret Koh valley from Chitral town, it took some 3 hrs to cover that 65 Km distance , firstly on mettaled road till Drosh, another small town of Chitral valley, located on Peshawar road.

The jeep crossed Chitral river to the other side where jeepable road continued that took me to the main village of Jinjiret koh valley, after speaking to a few locals I came to know that the last Kalasha was seen in the valley some 40 years back but some remains of the Kalasha Daur “Kalash age” are still there, some coffins of an ancient Kalasha cemetery.

But after some more research, I was told about some ancient Kalasha towers, so after walking for 30 minutes I reached a place named as “Goodam Pondoori Bronze” where these Kalasha towers were located, an old man from the village told me

that they are some 500 years old. As a matter of fact, there were 4 towers owned by Kalash tribes in the valley but unfortunately two have already been demolished so only two are there but not in a very good condition and need urgent restoration.

After negotations with the owner I was allowed to visit one of the towers and I was briefly enlightened about them, their background, the history of the area and how they were used against the invaders from Nuristan (Afghanistan ), on the other side of the border in the olden days.

Some relics of the Kalash Daur (Kalash age) were also on display, inside one of the rooms of the towers likewise some pots, pestle & mortar of the olden days, used by the Kalasha families as houses as well as watch towers.

My connection to the Kalasha tribes is quite old, since my childhood when I used to visit my relatives in Bamborate valley as well as my grandparents in Ayun and Chitral town, but I was never this much astonished after experiencing this marvelous architcture inside this small valley but on the other side, I was concened too, a question kept flickering across my mind during the whole visit that as we have already lost the Kalasha tribes of Jinjiret Koh valley, so if this architecture is not overtaken by the relevant departments and funds for restoration , they would be demolished either by the locals for some construction purpose or some natural calamity in the coming days and get shrouded in the dust of time and at the end we would be only telling the stories of the Kalasha towers of the lost valley to our coming generations in the future.

I came to know about another hidden far flung valley named as “ Jinjiret koh” , where the Kalash used to live but later on they all converted to Islam and nowadays the main village is known as “Sheikhanandeh” means the village of the newly converted Muslims.

How long have you been in the hair transplant business and what made you decide to go into it?

I have been in medical hair restoration and hair care for over 25 years. I was always intrigued with surgeries that restore the youthful appearance.

2. How many people would you say have used your hair transplant centers?

Over 10,000 in Pakistan

3. How much does it in general cost to get a good hair system done?

In Medical hair restoration, there are FDA approved medicines which help reduce or stop the hair loss and you can restore the lost hair through hair transplants. Price for permanent hair transplant ranges from Rs 100,000 to 200,000 depending on how much work is required .

4. Can you describe the actual hair transplanting process?

In surgical hair restoration, hair are taken from the back of head; these hair are genetically different and are not affected by the hair loss . These hair are planted in the bald area. Results in good hands are natural and permanent.

5. Are there some people who come in and you know they won’t be happy no matter what you do for them, and if so what do you tell them?

Generally, everyone is realistic their expectation can be met . Hair transplant is very rewarding.

6. What types of systems do you offer (base materials, hair types/source, etc) and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each kind?

We only offer medical and surgical hair care. Medically only two medicines - minoxidil and finesteride are approved to stop or reduce the hair loss. Surgically there are two techniques; one is called FUE and the other FUT. If a person life style is to keep the hair very short, FUE is preferable. For most FUT is a better option.

7. How much time per day does the client need to spend personally for maintenance and what does it involve?

The transplanted hair does not need maintenance; they grow along other hair and need a regular haircut.

8. What tips can you give wearers to keep their systems in as good a shape as possible?

For younger person, their hair loss is extremely fast, to maintain their own remaining hair they should use FDA approved minoxidil and finesteride after discussing with the Doctor.

9. What do you think is the future of hair replacement and what improvements will there? What other advances do you see in the future for transplant surgery and how soon do you think they will be available?

DR. SAJJAD KHAN

Advances in medical area has already improved the quality of human life immensely . Just few decades back nobody thought that hair can grow back. Today almost every one can restore their lost hair. At ILHT along with everyone else, heads of countries, movie and sports stars are among our happy clients.

Future lies in preventing hair loss completely and restoring the lost hair through specific growth factors. This might take us at least a decade to get there.

Founder & CEO ILHT

Interview By: Saeeda Malik

with

11 | our Heritage

Khyber PakhtunkhwaMonal Pheasant - also known as the, belongs to the pheasant family of birds and is relatively larger in size compared to its counterparts in the family Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal where it is known as Danphe. It is also the state bird of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand , India.

These large mountain pheasants are dimorphic much like peafowl. The males of the species can weigh up to 2380 g and are endowed with eye catching iridescent plumage, a

crown like crest that varies in size and a bare blue patch of skin around the eyes. Their chest and stomach are velvety black; the bill is long and curved, they have rounded wings and a flat short tail. The females dull in comparison to the glamorous males, they can weigh up to 2150 g and have dark brown plumage with rufous and white markings and a noticeable white patch on the throat. First-year males resemble the females in appearance.

These birds are found on steep slopes scattered with grassy areas. In Pakistan the bird is most common in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, it can also be found in Azad Kashmir. The pheasant is not considered endangered in the region. In some areas of Pakistan it is still fairly common at elevations between 8000 and 12 000 feet and in some valleys it can be easily located. A variety of multi-hued mountain pheasants thrive in the wilderness of Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Provincial

of PakistanBy: Maria

Pakistan’s varied topography and climate endow a rich variety of native and migratory birds, known todate, a total variety of 786 species. Each provincial region boasts a rich diversity of wildlife, but, unfortunately many are endangered due to sheer negligence of the environment or poaching. Despite the hurdles, caring hands in Pakistan such as

World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) - Pakistan are making an effort to protect nature’s wild life treasures. Some of the native and thriving species of birds, though categorized under

the provinces and regions, some are also found scattered all over the country.

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PunjabPeafowl is perhaps the most dramatic and dazzling of birds in appearance is the Indian peafowl or blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus). This graceful, brightly colored bird has been introduced to many parts of the world but is a native to South Asia . It is a part of many Greek, Egyptians and Hindu myths and legends.

Pakistan is home to these extraordinary creatures. Peacock (and peahens) is found in abundant numbers and their flamboyant appearance has made them popular as pets throughout the country. A thriving population of Peafowl exists in Punjab and locally the bird is at the center of much mysticism. In close proximity to the Kallar Kahar lake, peacocks roam near the tomb of a saint near Takht e Baburi. The locals believe that anyone who tries to disturb and capture peacocks will be destined to ill fate. Perhaps this belief help keeping the peacocks of this area unharmed and thrive in population.

The male peacock is primarily blue with a fan like crest. They are best known for their luxurious train, comprising of s tiff feathers that open

in an artful display to reveal iridescent eye shaped feathers in the hues of blue, green and brown. This behavior of feather display is common practice to entice peahens during courtship. These birds are dimorphic and the females lack the train and vibrant colors possessed by the males. They have a green lower neck and dull brown plumage. Peafowl mainly live on the ground in open forests where they prey on insects, lizards, small rodents and also pick out berries. They have loud distinguishable calls that may indicate the presence of a predator nearby. They avoid flying and mostly only do so to roost in trees.

BalochistanChakaur or chakaur partridge (Alectoris chukar) is a mid-sized Eurasian game-bird that belongs to the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Pakistan and can be found in the Balochistan province along with other parts of the country on rocky terrains across hillsides at altitudes ranging from 2000-4000 metres. The bird is likely to have derived its name from the distinct sound that it makes: chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar.

The natural habitat of Chakaur is found in Asia, mainly including Pakistan, Kashmir, India and Afghanistan. It is closely related and similar to its western equivalent, the Red-legged Partridge, Alectoris rufa. The sharply defined gorget distinguishes this species from the red-legged partridge which has the black collar fading into dark streaks near the chest. The Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) has a reddish brown collar with a grey throat and face with a chestnut crown.

The chukar is a plump 32–35 cm (13–14 in) long partridge, it has a grey breast, light brown back and a fluffed up belly. The face is white with a black throat. It has rufous-streaked flanks, coral red bill and red legs. The tail has 14 feathers. However, ornithologists claim that the hues of the bird vary slightly from region to region.

Both the sexes are similar in appearance but the female is slightly smaller in size. The bird bares similarities to the rock

13 | our Heritage

partridge (Alectoris graeca) and was therefore considered as one and the same, but later, slight differences earned the Chukar a category of its own.

Sindh Pigeon population is on the rise while much of the avifauna in the country is on a decline due to loss of habitat, poaching and illegal trade. Thousands of pigeons flock by Karachi’s main landmarks or buildings like the Empress Market, round-about near the Sindh high court, sites of several Masjids and temples . The people in this great commercial hub of the country make the birds feel welcomed by sparing morsels of food as they pass by.

This fairly common bird is accredited as one of the smartest birds on the planet – often regarded a skilled navigator.

Pigeons have contributed to WWI and WWII working with armed forces in various countries. The British made best use of Pigeons as the most reliable courier during their reign.

A homing pigeon by the name of Cher Ami has been awarded the Croix de Guerre medal with a Palm Oak Leaf Cluster for serving as a messenger that saved the Lost Battalion of the 77th Infantry Division in the Battle of Argonne, WWI.

The homing pigeon, as the name suggests, can find their way home over vast distances due to an innate homing ability, these birds are selectively bred. Flights - as long as 1,100 miles have been recorded at competitive pigeon racing events and speeds of up to 140 km/h have been observed during short distance flights.

There homing ability and skills have made them useful in carrying messages earning them names such as carrier or messenger pigeon. During time of war they were often referred to as “war pigeon” or “pigeon post”.

These agile birds vary from 32-37 cm long with a 64-72 cm wingspan. Their appearance differs across populations but largely they have a dark bluish-grey head, neck and chest with glossy greenish and reddish-purple iridescence around the neck and wing. Their diet consists mainly of seeds, grain and fruit, but occasionally; they will prey on small insects, earthworms and snails as well.

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Islamabad Marriott Hotel

“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you

educate a generation.” Brigham Young

“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you

educate a generation.” Brigham Young

15 | our Heritage

Hashoo Foundation’s Early Childhood Development Trainees visit schools in Islamabad

Gilgit Baltistan traveled to Islamabad for a week and took Islamabad to Gilgit Baltistan for decades ahead, through a resolute and unflinching bridge.

Hashoo foundation with financial support from GIZ initiated a project “livelihood through Early Childhood Development training”, 240 young and fresh female graduates were trained, while 80 awareness sessions were conducted that catered to 4,339 community members.

Gilgit Baltistan despite its high literacy rate, lacks modern technology and latest techniques of teaching, therefore, one week’s exposure visit for our newly trained ECD teachers were planned. 8 top performing trainees from 5 districts (Hunza, Nagar, Astore, Ghizer and Skardu) of Gilgit Baltistan visited 4 renowned schools of Islamabad: Head Start 09 branch, CIERA (Center for Integrated Education and Reading Achievement), SLS (Seek the Light and Spread it) and Bloomfield Hall, where they observed an integrated education system and teaching techniques that were being practiced

extended their gratitude to Hashoo Foundation and GIZ for their efforts in training young women and facilitating them with ECD materials. A noteworthy achievement of the project was the participation of young girls from district Astore, where women are subjected to orthodox, conservative mind set and cultural sensitivities. Despite many impediments and hurdles, young girls of Gilgit Baltistan did not give up hope and remained steadfast in pursuit of their goals. These young girls, agents of change, have a firm resolution of becoming future leaders in their areas.

Early childhood development is essential for a child’s performance at school, unprepared children tend to fall further behind. Over past decade the Foundation has through its Rawalpindi office, built up an enviable track record in training young women in ECD. Most of the graduating young women have gone to secure employment with local school whilst some more enterprising have established their own pre-school facilities in their local areas.

by the 1st world. Both secular and religious education was taught simultaneously to kids aged between 2 – 5 years. These trainees after the visit to the classes, had a one on one session with the schools heads, where they discussed teaching plans and aids to further enhance their skills and make teaching more interesting and interactive for their students.

This project received an overwhelming appreciation for its monumental impact and people

Hashoo Foundation is investing in both the quantity and quality of early care and education which it hopes will provide a conclusive and strong foundation for the young minds of Gilgit Baltistan.

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17 | our Heritage

Ratti Gali is the name of a pass (altitude of 13,600 feet) is situated on the Border of Azad Kashmir and Kaghan Valley. The valley towards Kaghan is known as Ratti Gali valley. Though Neelum Valley as whole has lush green meadows, beautiful waterfalls and plains covering amazing natural flowers of different colours but one of the extra ordinary trekking attractions and sparkling jewel of the Neelum Valley is Ratti Gali Lake. The Ratti Gali Lake is an

alpine glacial lake which is located in Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan at the altitude of 12,130 feet (3,700 m). The lake is fed by the surrounding glacier waters of the mountains and surrounded by grassy slopes and a number of breathtaking waterfalls.

In the summer season, the whole area around this mesmerizing lake becomes a place of lush green meadows, wild and magnificent flowers and radiant alpine plantations while in winter this valley is covered with white snow and big chunks of Glacier floats in the dark blue magical water of Ratti Gali Lake like huge swans.

Ratti Gali Lake is accessible from three routes i.e. 1. Dowarian, Neelum Valley, 2. Burawai, Kaghan Valley 3. Jalkhad, Kaghan Valley. All three treks are extremely scenic and naturally rich. Due to the location of

“Lightning and thunder,Miracles and

wonder,Sounds of

many waters,Heaven on

earth”

KASHMIR, The dream land and the chosen creation of the Almighty Allah. The beauty of Kashmir makes this famous

quote of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir very true, when he moved to such ecstasy and

exclaimed,

“If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here”

By: Mansoor Khan

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the lake, all the three treks require energies and long hours trekking with necessary camping gear along with all food and fuel arrangements.

From Dowarian, Neelum Valley

The best route for People who are coming from the Punjab is from Dowarian Neelum Valley via Islamabad, Bhurban and Muzafarabad. The approximate time to reach to Muzafarabad from Islamabad is 2.5 to 3 hours whereas there is additional 2.5 hours’ drive till Dowarian and one can reach on small cars as the road condition is very good. Dowarian use to be the base

camp for Ratti Gali valley and the lake is accessible from Dowarian by an un-metaled 19 km road plus hiking trek through breath-taking sites. Most recently AJ&K Government has developed a jeep track of approximately 14 km which is covered in 3 hours to reach Ratti Gali base camp, and the rest of the distance is covered through 2.5 hours trekking.

In order to fully explore the beauty of this heaven on earth, proper planning is but mandatory. Before embarking on trekking a tour, it is recommended to visit the beautiful Pearl Continental Muzafarabad from there one can easily reach Dowarian and hire a jeep for Ratti Gali or stay at Keran in Neelum Valley which is 5 km short of Dowarian. There are quite a number of guest houses in Keran, park your vehicles there and hire jeeps for Ratti Gali.

From Burawai, Kaghan Valley

In the south east of Burawai, Kaghan Valley, there is a jeep track by the nullah known as Jorr, which leads to the Ratti Gali Valley. The 9 km jeep track ends at village Jorian. From Jorian to Ratti Gali you have to trek 15 km of which initial part is very steep and the trekkers have to pass through some small glaciers. That area of valley is comparatively narrow but as soon as you are about to enter the Ratti Gali valley, the trek is broad and easier. At 6 km from Jorian, there is a traditional camping site known as Das Chaali. You can find small huts of gypsies.

Natural clean drinking water is easily available at Das Chaali. After Das Chaali the valley turns to the right towards east and after 4 hours trekking you can reach Ratti Galli Base Camp.

From Jalkhad, Kaghan Valley

It takes about 2 hours by a jeep from Naran to Jalkhad. This is a lovely ride with serene views of Kunhar River, side streams, waterfalls and forested landscapes of Kaghan Valley. There are several lodging options at Battakundi and Burawai before reaching the Jalkad.

Jalkad is a beautiful valley and seasonal tourist settlement with a restaurant, a small mosque and a couple of basic commodity shops. There is an excellent riverside camping field behind the restaurant. The Jeeps can also be hired from

here for the trek’s starting point just after the Noorinar Top. If a porter/guide is required, make sure that the hired person has done the complete trek recently.

Due to heavy snowfall on Noorinar and surrounding heights, the road to Sharda from Jalkahd remains closed till the mid of the season. Occasional glacier and landslides also create hurdles for jeep travelers. If the road is opened, it may take up to three hours to Noorinar Top, 17KM from Jalkhad. This is an awesome jeep ride again with incredible views of snowcapped mountains, frequent side streams and grassy slopes

with a smooth flowing stream. The trekkers usually ask the driver to drop a further 2 kilometers from the Noorinar Top alias Noori top at the starting point of trek. The trek starts from the jeep road and enters into the remote green and white hills. The walking trail is sometimes too narrow to step on due to the dense layer of lush green grass and flowers of every color. This is an easy walking for about 45 minutes to reach a remarkably large and noisy waterfall flowing from the Noori Lake.

From here the treks towards Noori Lake and the Ratti Gali Pass divide in two directions. The path for Noori Lake is on the right side along the waterfall. This is an inclined climb on the stony ridge for about 10 minutes which takes you to bowl shaped valley, usually filled with white snow.

19 | our Heritage

A short walk on the snow is required to get on the left side trek. This is a moderated hike of about another 45 minutes to reach the snowy lake, encircled by mountains.

This is an ideal location for the first night camping for those who are carrying proper gear. The nights can be very cold as we found the lake’s surface frozen in the morning.

For reaching Ratti Galli base camp or Ratti Gali Lake, it requires steady

efforts and energies. It takes about half to reach the trek at the Ratti Gali Pass. The water availability is not an issue here, however, water bottles are recommended. The best time to cover this section is the early morning as in the sunlight it can be difficult to walk for long hours.

To reach to the Ratti Gali Pass, it’s all about jumping and climbing over the boulders and stones. It may take up to 2 hours to scramble over the rocks and snow. Once on the

Pass, there are superb views of the valleys on both sides. In addition, the partial part of deep blue Hans Raj Lake on the Dowarian Valley and an unnamed small lake on the Kaghan side is also visible from the Top. A carpet of extremely beautiful flowers in random colors is a sensational reward. From the Ratti Gali Pass onwards, there is a moderate decline till the Dowarian. From the Top, the Hans Raj Lake is less than an hour’s easy walking.

The Ratti Gali Lake is a 3 hours walk from the Hans Raj Lake. The path continues on the grassy slope, frequent streams and a couple of snow patches. There are multiple visible treks and all leads to the Ratti Gali Lake. It can be a better option to stay on the higher trek to avoid an inclined walk just before the Ratti Gali Lake. There is a wide and grassy plane just under the lake which is an ideal location for camping. A brilliant water stream from the lake is dropping on the end of the plane, adding a splendid grandeur to the whole view.

Karachi Marriott Hotel

As a writer, behind the light romantic entertainment versions of his films, Waheed made strong statements in his script on differences and class systems in our society that hinders - what it takes in nation building. Producer-Actor Waheed Murad in his script for Samandar (1968), on location (then) E.Pakistan, showed the spirit of serving the community without playing into hands of the outsiders. Waheed had this genius in script writing, leaving the audience clueless, while delivering strong message relating to dark side of the society, in a manner that unscrupulous characters, as in real life, could not point a finger towards him.

S.M. Yousuf introduced Waheed Murad in his first film Aulad (1960). He played supporting role with lead stars Nayyar Sultana and Habib. Three years after, he got his 2nd supporting role in Daaman with Sabiha and Santosh leading the cast.

In 1964, Waheed produced Heera Aur Pathar and introduced Parvaiz Malik to the Cine-world. Playing the lead with Zeba, the pair gained over-night popularity. Waheed received his first award in Best Actor category. The film proved a milestone not only in Waheed’s career but in the Pakistan Film Industry, with a formation of a talented team comprising of Waheed Murad, Zeba, Parvaiz Malik, Sohail Rana (musician), and Ahmed Rushdi – Mala (play back singers).

Soon after, the success story of the

team presented all time favorites like Armaan, followed by Ehsaan, Doraha, Ishara, Jahan Tum Wahan Hum, Usay Dekha Usay Chaha.

The Legends of Pakistan

Actor – Producer – Writer: Waheed Murad’s Armaan

was Pakistan’s first Platinum Jubilee film

(1966), in which he played lead with Zeba.

Memoirs of Waheed Murad & Masod Rana

By: Saifuddin Ismailji

Born on 2 October 1938, the Living

Legend - Waheed Murad: the actor,

writer, producer and director, undeniably

the most creative artist, not only of Pakistan Cinema, but also the Sub-

continents’, led the Industry as a superstar

from the mid sixties to late seventies. A graduate with a masters degree in English Literature,

during his career from 1960 till his death (23 November 1983), he worked in about 124

films; produced eleven films, wrote film script for 4 films and directed

one film.

The block buster movie bagged many awards and Waheed won in the category of both – producer and actor.

Some of his other ground-breaking movies included Zafar Shabab’s Shabana (1976 Diamond Jubilee) with Barbara & Shahid; Hassan Tariq’s Anjuman ’70 with Rani and supported by mature actors including Sabiha, Santosh and Deeba; M. Akram’s Punjabi film Ishq Mera Naa ‘74 with Aalia.

During the hey-days of Pakistan film Industry, Nadeem and Mohammad Ali shared with him the title of super stars. In Nazar Shabab’s Shama, Waheed played lead with Deeba and was starred with all the, then shining stars of the Industry including Nadeem, Barbara Sharif, Mohammad Ali, Zeba. Waheed found his leading ladies: Deeba, Rani and Barbara Sharif at the loss of the more popular film-pair with Zeba, after her marriage to actor Mohammad Ali. Together (Waheed-Zeba-Mohammad Ali), they starred in several films including Kaneez, Jaag Utha Insaan, Phool Meray Gulshan Ka, Dushman, Mohabbat Zindagi hai, Jab jab Phool Khilain, Goonj Uthi Shehnai, Aap Ka Khadim. Hero (1985) was Waheed’s last film with Barbara Sharif.

- Saathi,Tera mera saathi hai (With Rushdi, Saaen Akhtar and Allah Baksh/ Film: Samandar)

- Meray Dil ki hai Aawaaz kay bichda yaar milay ga (Baharon phool Barsao)

- Mera Mehboob Aa Gaya, Dil mera lahra gaya (Neend Hamari Khwaab Tumharay)

- Jhoom Ay Dil Woh Mera jaane bahar aaye ga (Dil Mera Dharkan Teri)

- Fasana-e-Dil hai mukhtasar sa, kay aag dil main bhardak uthi hai

- Jawab do na do, laikin mera salaam tau lo (Bhaiya)

Born with a silver spoon to a Rajput landlord family in Mir Pur Khaas, Sindh (June 1938), fans of Masood Rana observe 20th anniversary in October 2015.

His outstanding work earned him the Best Actor Award for the films Heera

Aur Pathar, Armaan, Andleeb and Mastana Mahi.

Waheed was at his very best in light romantic roles and no other actor matched the brilliance of Waheed in song picturization. Although the undisputed king of Ghazal – Mehdi Hassan rendered each number with a mastery in his own class; filmization of his songs on Waheed Murad translated a visual depth of expression, some immortalized forever, which included songs like:

- Dunia kisi kay pyar main jannat sey kam nahi (Film: Jaag Utha Insaan)

- Ik naye maur pey ley aaye hain halat mujhey (Ehsaan)

- Mujhay tum nazar sey, gira tau rahey ho (Doraha)

- Aakri baar mil rahay hain hum (Isharaa).

However, when S.Asia’s most praised versatile playback singer Ahmed Rushdi passed away, Waheed was so much emotionally stressed that he said: “I have lost my voice”! Ahmed Rushdi songs filmized on Waheed appeared as if himself (Waheed) singing the song on the screen and as such, fans of Waheed, till todate cherish songs like:

- Mujhay Tum Sey Mohabbat hai (Heera aur Patthar),

- Ko-ko Korina (Armaan),

- Haan Isi Maur Par Iss Jagah Baith Kar (Film: Doraha),

- Chor Chalain Hu Shehar Tumhara (Phir Chaand Niklay Ga),

- Bhuli hui hoon daastaan, guzra huwa khayal hoon (Doraha);

just to mention a very few.

Waheed’s gentle voice also synchronized with prolific playback singer Masood Rana - a generation of music lovers that belonged from the early sixties will never forget numbers like:

Although he captured the attention of the audience from the very beginning of his career as a singer in mid fifties with his first recital, which was broadcasted on Radio Pakistan Hyderabad, he earned a position in playback singing in 1962 with his very first film song for Film Inqelab:

“Mashriq ki tareek faza mein naya svera phoota hay”.

Following the super hit song: “Tangay wala khair Mangda” (Daachi, 1964); he got a break in film Humrahi (1965) with all his seven songs in the film, each a super hit. He had conquered the Pakistani Cinema in the arena of playback singing, and had become lead singer for Punjabi films and the most popular vocal, almost in line with Ahmed Rushdi. Often complemented as Mohammad Rafi of Pakistan, Masood Rana’s high pitched vocals had full command over downright mournful and utterly cheerful expression and yet with soothing voice, best suited for thematic songs and at sung at ease ever popular light hearted romantic songs and duets with Mala, Runa Laila and Noor Jahan. Some of the songs, as under, won the hearts of millions:

- Kya kahoon aye Dunya waalo kya hoon mai (Film: Humrahi)

- Naqsha teir judaai ka lakhtey jigar main hai (Humrahi)

- Mujhey Chod kar akela kahin dooor jaanay waalay (Humrahi)

- Raah dikhlaye tera pyar mujhey (Humrahi)

- Teri Yaad Aa gayi, gham khushi main dhal gayey (Chaand Aur Chaandni)

- Phir Subah Ho Gi Andheray main hi ruknay waalay (Theme Song for Phir Subah Ho Gi)

- Mera khayal ho tum meri aarzoo tum ho (Nazneen)

- Ye waada karo kay mohabbat karain gey (with Noor Jahan Film: Daman Aur Chingari)

- Ay Dil tujhey ab unn sey yeh kaisi shikayat hai (Shararat)

- Aag laga kar chupnay waalay sunn mera afsana (Dil Lagi)

- Murjhaye huay phoolon ki kassam iss des main phir naa aaoon ga (Aansoo)

- Ay Watan hum hain teri shama kay parwanon main. . .

- Jaag raha hai sara watan, saathion, muahidon. . .;

He also recited kalams in praise of God and Naat before the court of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) with his inspirational prayer recital:

- Karam ki ek nazar hum par, Khudara ya Rasool Allah

Masood Rana sung more than 1000 songs over more than 3 decades, mostly in Urdu and Punjabi and won

several awards.

He died of heart attack while on a train journey on 4 October,1995; aged 57 years. Masood’s enchanting voice through his evergreen songs will always live among music lovers.

While Masood’s lively

high pitch voice rendered high spirited

patriotic songs when Pakistan fought a couple of wars against

India’s aggression:

our Heritage | 24

Pearl-Continental Peshawar

our Heritage | 25

On 21st November, the Nation honors the anniversary of its noble laureate Abdus Salam (died in 1996). Born on 29th January, 1926 in a small town: Jhung, then a part of British India. His family was dedicated in maintaining a tradition of attaining knowledge. Salam’s father, Chaudhry Muhammad Hussain, was an Education Officer in

the Department of Education of Punjab State.

Pakistan’s Noble LaureateDr. Abdus Salam

By: Maria

our Heritage | 26

While Salam was pursuing his doctoral studies, his mentors brought him a most defiant challenge, a problem that had baffled great minds such as Feynman and Dirac. Salam found a solution within six months for the renormalization of meson theory which gained him the attention of Oppenheimer, Dirac and Bethe.

Riazuddin was the sole student with the honor of studying under his wing at under-graduate and post-graduate level in Lahore and Post-doctoral level in Cambridge University.

In 1954, Salam became one of the earliest fellows of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences but soon after, he left Pakistan to join St John’s

At a young age of 14, Salam was cycling home when he found himself surrounded by the entire town that had waited to greet and celebrate his outstanding result in the matriculation examination. He scored the highest marks ever recorded for the exam from Punjab University. He was awarded a full scholarship to Government College University of Lahore. Here he opted for Mathematics as his main subject. This bright pupil showed great potential in various subjects, including English but despite of the persuasion of his mentors and tutors to make English his subject of focus he chose to remain inclined to Mathematics. He earned his MA in 1946 and within the same year was also awarded a scholarship to St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he completed BA (honors) with a double First in mathematics and physics in 1949.

His father had wished Salam to join Indian Civil Service, but the young Salam had his own ambitions.

He received the Smith’s Prize from Cambridge University in 1950 for a worthy pre-doctoral contribution to physics. At Cambridge, he earned a PhD in theoretical physics. He published a thesis in 1951 which contained valuable work on quantum electrodynamics; he was internationally acclaimed for it.

College as a Mathematics professor. In 1957 he launched a scholarship program for his students in Pakistan. His devotion to his country remained solid.

Salam was invited to take a chair at Imperial College, London, and he and Paul Matthews went on to set up the Theoretical Physics

After his doctorate, Salam became professor of Mathematics at Government College University, he remained there till 1954. He was also the Chairman of the Department of Mathematics, and professor at the University of Punjab. As chairman he updated the university curriculum. The university students had varied opinions regarding the doctor. Salam began to supervise and take a few students under his guidance.

Department there. It soon flourished to become a highly acclaimed research department that included well known physicists such as Tom Kibble, Gerald Guralnik, Steven Weinberg, Riazuddin and John Ward.

Salam received the honor to become one of the youngest Fellow of the Royal Society (1959), at the age of 33. He availed a Fellowship at the Princeton University in 1959 and later became a Foreign Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of SciencesHe played an important role in the advancement of nuclear physics. He urged Pakistan to focus on theoretical physics and remained dedicated to the field and Mathematics.

Salam brought forth the monumental Higgs bosons to the theory of the Standard Model and later predicted the phenomenon of proton decay. In 1963, he published his theoretical work on the vector meson.

From 1959 Salam worked on the unification of the four fundamental forces of nature, which are the gravitational force, strong and weak nuclear forces and the electromagnetic force. He triumphantly exhibited that the weak nuclear forces are not much different from the electromagnetic forces. He brought about a theory that showed the unification of these two fundamental forces of nature and how they are inter convertible. Glashow had also formulated the same work, and the theory was combined in 1966. He later proved the electroweak theory mathematically in 1967 and got it published. For their valuable work, Salam, Glashow, and Weinberg were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979.

In 1960, Abdus Salam returned to Pakistan in 1960 to take charge of a government post that was given to him by Ayub Khan. He branched out the web of physics research and development in Pakistan and sent more than 500 scientists abroad. On September 1961, with the support of President Ayub Khan, Salam established the country’s first national space agency.

our Heritage | 27

He played a significant role in Pakistan’s nuclear energy development for peaceful purposes. He served as the head of Pakistan’s IAEA delegation (1964). Following year (1965), he and Edward Durrell Stone signed a contract for the establishment of Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology at Nilore, Islamabad

This extraordinary man was known to be a very private individual and kept his personal and public matters at a comfortable distance. He married two times, first to a cousin and the second time to Professor Dame Louise.

He became increasingly ill and passed away due to progressive supranuclear palsy at the age of 70 on 21 November 1996 in Oxford England. He was returned to Pakistan where around 30,000 people attended his funeral prayers. He was buried next to his parents’ graves.

Salam’s work in Pakistan is regarded as highly influential and his peers, students - the entire nation will always remember. Today, a small two room house measuring 400-sq.foot in Mohallah Dawood Nagar (Jhung) stands a national monument in memoriam to the

“Father of Pakistan’s school of Theoretical Physics.”

Pearl-Continental Karachi

The PCHM becomes that essential link between the aesthetics of natural design and the human spirit of adventure as it stands magnificently on a slight elevation from the city of Muzaffarabad, which itself stands at the meeting point of two rivers: the Neelum and the Jehlum. The 100 guest rooms, each with a breath taking view of this natural wonder from one side and of the Pir Chanasi peak , on the other are equipped with luxury beddings and five star amenities of world class comfort. Besides the standard and deluxe accommodation, twenty seven Executive rooms and three special suites, the Jehlum, the Neelum and the Presidential have also been dressed up. PCHM offers banquet and meeting facilities, Hi-Speed Internet / WiFi Connectivity along with video conferencing, round the clock security, twenty four hour room service, an Executive Lounge, car rental service, a health club, and a billiard room. Shop- a-holics and souvenir, curio seeking guests can visit the city below, but the Hotel is developing its own shopping arcade, one of whose highlights is the on-call Kashmiri shawl crafts person. The PCHM presents a very quaint, laidback house –in-the -forest, albeit, complete with all modern amenities and impact, guests will appreciate the special architectural

features that are a tribute to the management’s environment friendly policies. Interestingly, while the rock formations against which the hotel stands, have been magnified by design, the prolific presence of wooden highlights in the reception area may lead many environment conscious visitor to ask for explanation; but doubts are soon assuaged as the Manager explains how concrete beams have been dressed up to look like real wood! The reception desk backed by a huge mural style collage of ten pictures of the Mirpur Ramkot fort is the heart of the hotel in many ways. It is also a vantage point for visitors looking on to the city of Muzaffarabad…a sprawling,

PEARL IN THE OYSTER…….Pearl Continental MuzaffarabadThe Pearl Continental Hotel Muzaffarabad reveals itself with a graceful flourish as the potential guest navigating the final curve along the private hill road leading to the premises , comes face to face with its imposing presence. Totally at home with its surroundings, it is somewhat like the proverbial pearl in the oyster, waiting to be prized open by the seasoned diver, its muted grandeur has a decidedly sobering effect on the weary traveller whose awestruck reaction to the spectacle was obviously a pre designed architectural ambition. Decidedly the best kept secret in luxury living this side of Islamabad , Pakistan’s federal capital and just three to three and a half hours of sheer driving pleasure from it, the hotel lies coyly snug and undisturbed in the protective bosom of the surrounding horse shoe of mountain peaks.

teaming town of government offices, mystique filled bazaars and private residential and business properties. The roving eye will definitely notice the dominating pink and blue hues of the buildings which are a tribute to the friendship of neighbouring Turkey and donor organisations that helped the city to return to life after a devastating earthquake five years ago. Guests can now see first hand, how resilience and courage pays. Over breakfast or lunch, they view the Jalalabad Park and the pink mosque spread down below. While the PCHM is a beautiful home to those away from home it is also the take off point for travellers wishing to explore the area of AJ&K. At two hours jeep drive from the hotel and worth a visit is the famous Zalzala Lake, miraculously formed as a result of the earth movements of 2005. Today it is a lovely picnic spot as is the Pir Chanasi top, a rich green plateau that can be seen from the hotel rooms. Also recommended is a nineteen kilometre trip to Pattika which is the entrance to the gloriously beautiful Neelum Valley and first stop to Sharda at an altitude of 1981 meters. Ath Makam, Kel and Kutton are also worth a visit PCHM invites domestic and international tourists to come and explore a land whose beauty has to be experienced to be believed. The trouble-free area offers a wealth of possibilities and a unique adventure into one of nature’s best preserves.

The PCHM becomes that essential link between the aesthetics of natural design and the human spirit of adventure as it stands magnificently on a slight elevation from the city of Muzaffarabad, which itself stands at the meeting point of two rivers: the Neelum and the Jehlum. The 100 guest rooms, each with a breath taking view of this natural wonder from one side and of the Pir Chanasi peak , on the other are equipped with luxury beddings and five star amenities of world class comfort. Besides the standard and deluxe accommodation, twenty seven Executive rooms and three special suites, the Jehlum, the Neelum and the Presidential have also been dressed up. PCHM offers banquet and meeting facilities, Hi-Speed Internet / WiFi Connectivity along with video conferencing, round the clock security, twenty four hour room service, an Executive Lounge, car rental service, a health club, and a billiard room. Shop- a-holics and souvenir, curio seeking guests can visit the city below, but the Hotel is developing its own shopping arcade, one of whose highlights is the on-call Kashmiri shawl crafts person. The PCHM presents a very quaint, laidback house –in-the -forest, albeit, complete with all modern amenities and impact, guests will appreciate the special architectural

features that are a tribute to the management’s environment friendly policies. Interestingly, while the rock formations against which the hotel stands, have been magnified by design, the prolific presence of wooden highlights in the reception area may lead many environment conscious visitor to ask for explanation; but doubts are soon assuaged as the Manager explains how concrete beams have been dressed up to look like real wood! The reception desk backed by a huge mural style collage of ten pictures of the Mirpur Ramkot fort is the heart of the hotel in many ways. It is also a vantage point for visitors looking on to the city of Muzaffarabad…a sprawling,

PEARL IN THE OYSTER…….Pearl Continental MuzaffarabadThe Pearl Continental Hotel Muzaffarabad reveals itself with a graceful flourish as the potential guest navigating the final curve along the private hill road leading to the premises , comes face to face with its imposing presence. Totally at home with its surroundings, it is somewhat like the proverbial pearl in the oyster, waiting to be prized open by the seasoned diver, its muted grandeur has a decidedly sobering effect on the weary traveller whose awestruck reaction to the spectacle was obviously a pre designed architectural ambition. Decidedly the best kept secret in luxury living this side of Islamabad , Pakistan’s federal capital and just three to three and a half hours of sheer driving pleasure from it, the hotel lies coyly snug and undisturbed in the protective bosom of the surrounding horse shoe of mountain peaks.



31 | our Heritage

Author: Rafia Zakaria

Published By: Beacon Press

Emotionally moving, extremely enticing and thoroughly enjoyable, The Upstairs Wife by Rafia Zakaria is an amazing tale told in the simplest of English yet most convincing of styles. A much recent novel added to the contemporary novel scene, it is a book that will make you laugh yet make you wonder. It will make you smile yet it will make you question. It will make you satiated and yet it will make you yearn for more.

The story begins with the announcement of the death of Benazir Bhutto, the first woman ever who ruled The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and who is also the beloved daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the country’s late Prime Minister. Simultaneously, in Rafia Zakaria’s family, Uncle Sohail, who had brought shame to the family by taking up a second wife, is near death. The family crisis and the crises within the country are thus taken up together by the author and weaved into one complete story. Throughout the two hundred and fifty-one pages the events entwine to

tell the most interesting of stories, mingling the past and the present, of lives spent, of desires and dreams unfulfilled both for the characters of the story as well as the country. The harsh realities then unfold making up what Pakistan is today. Alongside this political scenery is the story of how and why Zakaria’s forefathers migrate to the new land of Pakistan and settles in Karachi, a city that begins to welcome a multitude of immigrants and later on falls victims to a civil war through militancy groups and terrorists. It then reveals facts and gruesome details of massacres, riots and strikes that every Karcahite may know but refuse to put on paper from fear of making memories too bitter. The very people who call the city their home now go through a multitude of emotions because of the changes in the political scene of the country.

The Upstairs Wife interestingly is a story of our country that all of us love to criticize and disown if trouble seeps up. The irony of the situation is made more obvious by revealing the personal story of Aunt Amina. The hope with which she begins a married life to shattering of dreams when her husband brings

in a second wife to her accepting a routine when she has to live with the days of her husband divided between her and the “Upstairs Wife”, the second woman who now lives above her in a separate quarter of her house especially built for the new woman. Later on the acceptability of life’s harsh realities to her being told that she must not try to change things even after the first wife passes away is a heartbreaking emotion beautifully captured by the author. Here is when the reader comes to understand the heartbreaking of the thousands of Pakistanis when political changes affect their lives.

Just as each scene is paired with a scene from the

pages of Pakistani history, the most important of

events in Pakistan’s history coincidentally mark events

that change writer Zakaria’s life as she tells the tale. One must admit that the writer has taken up a very difficult topic but presented it very

attractively.

Book Review By: Khuzaima Fatima Haque

our Heritage | 33

Taking an example, the original marriage proposal to Aunt Amina from Uncle Sohail comes within days of Pakistan’s forfeiture of East Pakistan which is now Bangladesh. Similarly, the year when Aunt Amina returns to her father’s house, Benazir Bhutto returns to her father’s home, too, after seven years of self-imposed exile from Pakistan.

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Through this novel, one realizes that the same immigrants who leave behind everything they own in India and come to Pakistan to find a new identity are left in the middle with no support. Similarly Aunt Amina’s dream and struggle for a new identity for herself with Sohail after the marriage is as much troubled.

The author’s narrative technique is not new is the literary world but the

way she practices it is nothing short of perfection. The fragmentation this style creates lends the novel a sort of urgency, a topic of this magnitude definitely requires. The balance between the scenes struck by the author is amazing and keeps the readers on their toes till the last page.

Zakaria has put in a lot of historic events that show the amount of research that must have gone into the creation of

THE UPSTAIRS WIFE. She talks about the different groups that

shaped the country between 1947 and 2007,

numerous migrations, sectarian conflict, a series of military coups, political violence, how the country is drawn into wars run by the Super power, Cold War tensions, wars with India, wars in Afghanistan, the 9/11 attacks and so on.

Raffia Zakaria is a columnist for the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, Al Jazeera America and others, and is

a member of Amnesty International USA’s board of directors. No doubt, the novel so skillfully covers together a whole lot of political history and yet reveals the complicated personal politics of a family in one go. All in all, The Upstairs Wife is a must read for those who look for drama and history on a single plate.

The following stands out among the more revered and colorful mystic festivals, such as: Mela Chanan Peer, Urs Sehwan Sharif, Urs Bardi Imam, Urs Daata Ganj Baksh, Urs Sufi saint Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Gunj Shakar, Urs Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Urs of Hazrat Mian Mir and Baba Shah Jamal.

Mela Chanan Peer Mela Chanan Peer is highly regarded of its inscrutability in every aspect: the saint – his birth and his life’s work for the less privileged people, the site of his resting place and the spiritual energy felt during the festival.

By: Saifuddin Ismailji

A nation’s integrity is perceived through its strength and in the continuity of cultures and traditions and not necessarily by an overgrown population comprising of good

and evil. Pakistan’s colorful identity strongly reflect in its many mystic festivals (mela) where devotees find an up, close and personal connection with a philosophy of humanity in a shared sense of spirituality. This manifestation of spiritual enrichment

is enacted at its very best during the birth (milad) or death (urs) anniversary by the site of shrine or mausoleum of the saints, Sufis and eminent scholars, which are spread

across the length and breadth of the country – Punjab, in particular.

A typical festivity comprising of a spiritual gatherings attended by prominent Sufi musicians, scholars and Heads from spiritual centers across the country would

include naat recitals in praise of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), Qirat (recitation of Holy Quran), Qawwalis (chanting on high-key notes) and also mystic dancing on the beat of

Sufi music. The philosophy behind these festivals is to confirm love for the Creator, which will lead to love for all creation as a natural consequence.

FestivalsMystic

35 | our Heritage

bring their children and pray for their prosperity. The festival reaches climax in its final week and the thumping of drums and Sufi Kalams (poetry) echo the entire desert area.

Mela Sehwan SharifSehwan Sharif is renowned for its high spirit festival on the Urs of Sufi saint Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (1177- 1274). His real name: Hazrat Syed Shah Hussain was born in Marwand (Iran) - now Afghanistan, to a noble family of Makhdum, Syed Ibrahim Kabir-ud-Din Mujab, and his mother was a high-ranking princess.

Since childhood, there were strong sign of spirituality in his nature. While he was a caretaker at the shrine of Imam-e-Hussain (A.S.), he received a visual message from Imam-e-Hussain (A.S.) to migrate to Hindustan (Indo-Pak Subcontinent). He journeyed to Multan enroute Mashad and Uchchh Sharif and finally arrived Sehwan. Then, the city was under the influence of evil people. Shahbaz Qalandar appointed his two devotees Boodla Bahaar and Sachal Sarmast to spread the message in every nook and corner of the city:

“Ali Haq – Ali Haq” (Imam Ali A.S.) Ibn e Abi Talib A.S. is the ultimate truth.

Shabaz Qalandar not only attained sainthood, he was naturally gifted with occult powers of a miracle maker. Venerated Persian verses engraved on the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar emanate devotion, honor and love for Imam Ali (A.S.

The festival is held each year in Chanan Peer (Cholistan Desert) by the grave-site of the Peer over 7 consecutive Thursdays from mid February. Local families loaded with tents and cooking essentials trot to the site on their camels and donkeys and as the festival date approaches near, a huge crowd gathers here from all walks in life throughout the country, including foreigners. Camps are pitched at a fair distance from the grave-site; while many would observe fasting; food may serve to visitors on some days by local sponsors. Other than daily rectal of Sufi poetry and kalam, the devotees would perform ritual dance and chant on Sufi music each night by the camp fire. Couples pray in their quest of having sons while parents

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Haidariam Qalandaram Mastam Banda-e-Murtaza Ali Hastam Peshwa-e-Tamam Rindhanam

Keh Sag-e-Koo-e-Sher-e-Yazdanam

Born in a Hindu family of Raja Sadharan, the little boy at birth

recited verses from the Holy Quran. Apparently, the Raja

ordered that the new born be put to death. His mother, Rani

Nainoo pleaded to spare his life and thus abandoned the infant

in the howling wilderness of the desert. Miraculous he survived to become Saint Chanan Peer.

meaning:

“I am Haidery (Ali) ibn-e Abu Talib (A.S.), Qalandar (Free - Free of Boundaries, the one who has Control on Dimensions) and Mast (Intoxicated with inspiration),

I am slave of Imam Ali Murtaza (A.S.); I am leader of all saints”.Today, thousands of devotees gather at the shrine during the Urs of Shahbaz Qalandar, which is held around mid Shaaban (Islamic calendar). In a magical aura absolved Naatia kalam, kafi and Sufi lyrics, devotees chant: Dam mast Qalandar mast – mast, dam mast qalandar Ali - Ali.

Lahore served as a staging post to the Central Asian and Turkic caravans and invading armies. Blessed with main rivers, the fame of Lahore as the hub of inter-communal quests for spiritual attainment had spread outside the region including Central Asia. Lahore became to be visited by a wave of

master artisans, masons, artists, poets and musicians. Locals regards Lahore as “Daata ki Nagri” (Daata’s City) and the mausoleum of Data Ganj Baksh is the revered festive site on a daily basis. This year marks the 971st Urs of

Abul Hassan Ali Hajveri – Daata Ganj Baksh This year marks the 971st Urs of Abul Hassan Ali Hajveri – Daata Ganj Baksh (990 – 1077) who preached the Sufi mission of spreading love, tolerance and harmony and emphasizing the inseparable equality of man. The Mughal king’s Akbar great-grand son: Dara Shikoh was among a true disciple of Daata Ganj Bakhsh. At the festive site of Data Ganja Bash mausoleum, each day there is recital of neat khan (in praise of the holy Prophet PBUH), Punjabi folk tales in lyricised form and ongoing prayer session, while food is distributed (langar) to all visitors at a designated Khanqah

within the premises of the shrine. A little fountain (hamam) is believed to heal the ailment of the devotees.

Urs of Baba Fariduddin r.a.lt takes place in Pakpattan, annually from Moharram 1 and prolong for fifteen-days. The most distinguished Sufi-saint poet in Punjabi language, Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar r.a. (April 4, 1179 – May 7 1266) was born in Khotwal village near Lahore. At a young age he travelled for 18 years, all the Islamic countries, to meet notable scholars and saints. He moved the Khanqah of the Chishtiyya Mission from Delhi to Ajodhan, now Pak Patan (district Sahiwal). The Khanqah (a place of learning for gathering of Sufi brotherhood) Baba Farid r.a. had become an eminent university of moral and spiritual training. Scholars, dervishes (Holy men) and Sufis from the region and as far as Central Asia visited this spiritual university. Hazrat Baba Farid r.a.

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reached the zenith of spiritual glory through Mujahidas (spiritual fasting) to gain mastery over the will and self control. Among his many notable quotes related to moral values: one that narrates:

“Khush kalami aik aisa phool hai jo kabhi nahin murjhata”

(A Humble conversation is a flower that never dies off) Baba Fariduddin r.a.

Urs of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Urs of Abdullah Shah Ghazi is celebrated over 3 days (12th month in Islamic calendar) in a festive spirit. He is said to belong to the lineage of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) noted of his preaching love, tolerance and

politeness. The saint is revered by Muslims and non-Muslims for his universal message, very much emphasize in the teachings of Quran. The Urs festivity is enjoyed by a large

number of devotees that gather by the original site of the shrine (1400AD) at main Clifton, in the coastal city Karachi, Sind.

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One such lake is ANSOO JHEEL / Lake, the name given to it because it is shaped like a tear and is a beautiful sight to watch. There are two approaches to ANSOO JHEEL one from MAHANDIRI to MANOOR VILLAGE and second from SAIF UL MALOOQ LAKE.

This time my expedition to KAGHAN NARAN VALLEY took me to ANSOO JHEEL.

The jeep ride from JHEEL Road NARAN to SAIF UL MALOOQ takes about one hour but the distance is less than 8 kms because of the bad road conditions.

On reaching SAIF UL MALOOQ LAKE you will be confronted with hordes and hordes of jeeps parked like sardines in the parking area and you will have problem in disembarking because of the rush of the people there in the assembly area.

At this moment you have to leave your jeep and make your way to the restaurant and the dining area for a quick cup of tea or snacks and the traditional PAKORAS but the prices are again three times of what you find in the plains.

The time was 11:30 am and I made my way to the lower terrace to arrange for the horses for our

expedition to ANSOO JHEEL.

I packed my rucksack with edibles, juices and drinks and went to the departure area to mount our respective horse. As I was the leader hence a fine sturdy horse by the name of BADAL was given to me, RAJA was given to Ibrahim and SHERA was mounted by Raheel and Taha the eldest son of Ibrahim.

The first part of the journey is relatively easy on the bank of lake SAIF UL MALOOQ which takes about one hour to circumvent and navigate round the lake till you come to some Jhuggis (Mud huts) where some of the BAKARWALS (Nomads) live.

Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

ExpeditionAnsooToJheel

Many people visit the KAGHAN NARAN VALLEY, in summers

but majority of the tourists stick to the main roads of the

valley and are unaware of the

scenic meadows, lakes, pastures and

beautiful hiking tracks that are found in abundance in the

valley

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From SAIF UL MALOOQ to Base camp is a ride on horseback though uneven tracks, small Nalas, river lets and streams. If you are on horseback then the poor horse takes you across these small obstacles but Raheel and Ibrahim feeling adventurous started walking and were on their foot and had to take off their shoes to maneuver over these ankle-deep streams of cold water.

From the base camp to the (PEHLI TAKKAR) to the first ridge is a sheer climb of more than 40 degrees on a very small narrow

they were out of sight. I met many people coming back from ANSOO JHEEL and enquired about their completion of the trip but I did not get any answer in the affirmative.

The third part of the climb from Second to ridge to third ridge was not that difficult but fatigue and tiredness were taking a toll of our physical abilities and mental faculties. This was again burdened by the cold weather and lack of oxygen which further aggravated our ordeals.

path. I was a bit out of breath because of my weight but somehow or the other managed to climb behind Ibrahim, Raheel and Taha to the first ridge.

My speed of climb was very slow like that of a snail and I started cursing myself that how come I landed myself in this unfit position with obesity and bulkiness which were not my hallmark about 30 years ago when as a young captain in the Pakistan Army I was able to climb peaks which even had a vertical ascent.

I rested for a while at first ridge while Ibrahim & company went ahead to the second ridge and soon

We were not prepared for the extreme of the weather and our water supply and snacks were running out. Our walk was tessellated between alternate bouts of resting and walking because we got tired very quickly

complicated by the quench of thirst and hungry pangs of the stomach. This drove us against the wall and we had to drink from the stream which came on our way but the water was very cold and you could not take more than a few sips.

The drop in temperature was also causing numbness, headache and bluish coloration of the skin but it was sheer willpower and determination which drove us on and then we reached the glacier which was about half a furlong so taking caution we went to the edge of the glacier and traversed it by climbing the rocks on the side. This took us about 25 minutes to cross as our speed was hampered.

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Ibrahim and Taha were on horseback whereas Raheel had to tread on foot which again slowed down our progress.

Crossing the glacier we came across small beautiful waterfalls and cascades but they were on our left side where as we were walking on the right side and crossed the incline in another 15 minutes to reach a fairly high ground from where the adjacent peaks look like miniatures.

From the water falls to the fourth ridge was a very steep incline which we managed to climb on foot taking the help of each other in case of any slip on the snow.

From the fourth ridge to fifth ridge was a trek on dry ground with steep ascent again to the sixth ridge again from where we were joined by some youngsters who had walked all the way from Naran to this place.

From the fifth ridge was a very tricky trek because at this point you had to leave your horses and make your way on foot which is an experience of a life time and it is something later on you can tell as a bedtime story to your grandchildren.

We reached the summation peak at about 4.25 pm and lo and behold it was such a sight which I will remember all my life. The View of ANSOO JHEEL was from 2000 feet above and from there photography and photo session with the sponsor’s banner was held. The wind velocity was so high that it was difficult to hold the banner at ground level and because of the opposing air impact the banners were being blown up like inverted hammocks.

This was a point of achievement and ecstasy for me that after my last climb to the HARAMOSH- I in 1979,

at the height of 24000 feet now I had climbed to such an height of 14000 feet again at the age of 64 years.

We came to ridge five and collected our horses and started on the decent which was very uneventful and easy and reached the base camp at about 6.45 and finally reached the visitors area of SAIF UL MALOOK LAKE at about 7.30 pm when darkness was falling and our physical condition was at its lowest ebb.

Let this trip narration of mine be a guide line for youngsters and families who intend to make this trip to ANSOO JHEEL next year.

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Pearl-Continental Bhurban

Style Risingfrom the east in FranceInterview by Shazana AnwarPhotography by Didier Teurquetil

How did you get into the world of fashion?I was an artist since my childhood, I discovered my passion for fashion very early and I wanted to make a career so I enrolled myself in a design school, studied apparel and fashion designing for 3 years, and then I created my own collection. I believe that was the start of an adventurous tour in fashion’s world.

Share your profile?I am very patient when it comes to creating something but generally I’m quite rigorous in my work. I am a very stubborn person that whenever I’m working on an idea, I wouldn’t leave that half way.

What does fashion means to you?Fashion for me is an art. It allows you to express what is deep in your heart. I like working with the darker colors. Pastels and brighter colors only attract me when I’m immensely happy.

Tell us about your collection?My greatest inspiration is Bollywood and my collection comprises the same style. I use simple materials, natural light, reworked with cut and combined with more sophisticated materials. There is an alliance in duality to add value to the product. With these effect of contrast on textures and colors, every cloth becomes unique and original as well as enhancing the natural sensuality of woman who wears it.

“Being a Pakistani woman does not necessarily

require a face of a challenge in any country of

the world”

Being a Pakistani women what were the challenges that you had to face in France?Being a Pakistani woman does not necessarily require a face of a challenge in any country of the world. In my situation I was born in Pakistan and I arrived in France when I was only 3 years. But still I’m being called a Pakistani which I’m really proud of. Working in a western culture with much more polished market gives you more exposure and encourages you to express yourself to the fullest.

How do you catch up with the changing trends in fashion?I consistently keep track of fashion trends all over the world and at the same time improvise as well. It is an ongoing process, and one’s own personal creativity is also required to catch up and introduce new trends

How do you promote Pakistani fashion trends here in France?As I said earlier my collection has Indian influence (bollywood) and Oriental and Western course, and this was my strength so far which made it easy to promote my brand in France. So the majority of people know me as a French Pakistani. However, I will surely be launching wide range of shalwar Kameez collection on typical Pakistani trends.

What is the one thing in life that you feel you must do?I still have a lot of things to accomplish in my life. But if I were in Pakistan, I would open a health center in there for the poor providing quality treatment. I was always very much interested in medicine especially herbal treatments.

I also have a good experience in this field. I will for sure give this a go in the near future.

Do you have any plans to introduce your brand in Pakistan?Yes it is a project that is in progress, fashion occupies a very important place forever in the minds of Pakistani women.

Any tip or suggestion especially for the upcoming Pakistani designers willing to excel in this field?Believe in yourself and your dreams, follow your instincts and do not give up no matter what the difficulties you come across. Must ensure to achieve what you want. Be determined and work hard to succeed in the field of fashion, which is beautiful and interesting.

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Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora. The Swat Valley was a princely state in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until it was dissolved in 1969 along with many other princely states like Dir state and Chitral state. The valley is populated mostly by ethnic Pashtuns and Gujjar and Kohistani communities. The languages spoken in the valley are Pashto , Gojri, Torwali and Kohistani. Most non-Pashtoon people of the area are bilingual and fluent in Pashto along with their native languages. Throughout the district, there is a less tendency of ethnic discrimination and all of the inhabitants of Swat refer to themselves as Pashtoon irrespective of the communities they belong to.

With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty

and is popular with tourists. Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the The Yusafzai State

of Swat called it

“the Switzerland of the east.”

The Valley is bestowed with many natural scenic sites that are huge tourist attractions since decades for

both the domestic and international tourists. Among them are:

MarghazarMarghazar is 16 km away from Saidu Sharif and is famous for its “Sufed Mahal” the white marble palace of the former Wali (Gujjar Ruler) of Swat. It was built in 1940 by the first king of Swat Miangul Abdul Wadud, who is

commonly known as Badshah Sahb. The palace now serves as a hotel . The White Palace at Marghazar was the summer residence of the Wali of Swat. Located at 7,000 feet above sea level on Marghazar Hill, it was later converted into a tourist resort.

Malam JabbaMalam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba is a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley. It is 314 km from Islamabad. Malam Jabba was home to the largest ski resort in Pakistan. The Malam Jabba Ski Resort, owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation,

had a ski slope of about 800m with the highest point of the slope 2804 m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing

By: Gulshan Aziz

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equipment. During the Militancy in Swat the Resort was destroyed but it is being rebuilt by the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through a Lahore based firm.

Swat MuseumSwat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. It includes seven galleries which contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labeled to illustrate the Buddha’s life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery.

MiandamMiandam is a charming hill station in the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains. It is located at a distance of 55 km away from Mingora, and 56 kilometers (35 mi) from Saidu Sharif. It is a very picturesque tourist spot at an elevation of 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above sea level and is enriched in medicinal plants, owing to which the town is the site of a World Wide Fun Nature project promoting sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants, and now about 1,000 people are dependent on the medicinal plant trade for their entire income.The primary economy

of the region is based on tourism and agriculture.

MadyanBy the time you reach this small town at 1320 m and about 60 km from Mingora, the mountains have closed in and the valley is almost snug. Here one senses why Swat is so popular among the tourists. There are a lot of embroidered shawls in the Bazars of Madyan. At 1,321 metres (4,335 feet) above sea level, it is a large town and has many hotels in all price ranges and some good tourist shopping. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery, carved wood and antique

or reproduced coins are sold along the main street. This is the last Swati village, offering interesting two-and three-day walks up to the mountain villages. The central mosque at Madyan has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals, and its mud-plastered west wall is covered with relief designs in floral motifs. Both bespeak the Swati’s love of decoration.

BahrainBahrain is a popular hill station of the Swat District. Pakistan. It got its name (lit. “two rivers”) because of its location at the confluence of the Daral and Swat rivers. The region is famous for its riverside tourist resorts and local handicrafts. Bahrain offers a superb view of gushing river Daral and natural waterfalls. The people of Bahrain are expert in the cottage industry of wood carving, that’s why wood work can be seen everywhere in the region. A charming trek can be enjoyed from here up to Daral & Saidgai lakes. It is the cultural center of the Torwali-speaking community.

KalamKalam is a cool heaven for tourists in the northern upper reaches of Swat Valley along the bank of Suvastu River. It is surrounded by lush green hills, thick forests and bestowed with mesmeric lakes, meadows and waterfalls which are worth seen. It is the birth place of River Swat which forms with confluence of two major tributaries of Gabral river & Ushu river. There are a lot of grand hotels in Kalam, where one can stay for night and enjoy the cool breeze of Swat river.

UshoUsho is a hill station in the north east of Kalam valley. It is situated at a distance of 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) from Kalam and 123 kilometers (76 mi) km from Saidu Sharif at the height of 2,300 metres (7,550 feet). It is accessible through a non metalled road from Kalam by jeeps only.

UtrorUtror is a popular hill Station and one of the beautiful valley in the region, surrounded by snow clad mountains and beautiful lake of the area. Kundol lake is one of the world most beautiful lake located in this part of the Swat Valley.

GhabralGhabral is a scenic hill station of Swat Valley. The valley is surrounded by Chitral District in the north, Utror valley in the south and south west, upper Dir district in the west and Bhan and Mahodand valleys in the east. In Utror and Gabral, 44 medicinal plants are collected during the months of May, June, July and August.

MahodandMahodand valley, in the North of Kalam, is famous not only among nature lovers and escapists but also the exotic trout fish hunters. The small hamlets that are scattered in the mountains and the bellowing smoke that spirals into the sky from the houses are some, which lives in the memory forever.

Pari (Khapiro) Lake Pari Lake is one of the lakes in Swat region which is located at a very high altitude in the foot of the tallest peak in the range with a considerable depth. The name Pari or Khapiro is given to the lake due to the widespread belief that the lake is the abode of fairies where they live and bathe in the cool, pure and clear water of the lake. It is located to North-east of Utror valley and can be accessed only by trekking.

Kundol LakeThe pastoral valley of Swat has abundance of precious resorts of nature where one can find solace and respite from the never-ending struggle of life. Kundal or Kandolo Lake is one such place here upon which the Maestro of nature has spent extra time and effort to paint. Kundal Lake is situated in the north

of Utror valley. One can easily access it from Kalam via Utror from where a link road ends in a green valley called Ladu in the foothills of the lake.

Bashigram LakeBashigram Lake is situated to the east of Bashigram valley near Madyan. It takes almost forty to fifty

minutes to reach this picturesque valley inhibited by simple and hospitable folk. From here, trekking of four to five hours, lands you in the realm of a serene and enchanting lake of Bashigram.

Spin Khwar (White Stream) LakeSpin Khwar is a beautiful lake hidden in the lap of mountains towards the north of Kundal Lake and east of

Utror valley. The name Spin Khwar has a clear significance as a small white stream in the east flows down to the lake from the surrounding mountains and is a major source of water for the lake. The lake is accessible through two tracks, one from Kundal and the other from Ladu valley.

Daral LakeDaral lake is situated to the northeast of Sidgai Lake and can be accessed through Saidgai after two three hours rigorous trekking. The trail to Daral is full of fun and amusement because it runs over sky touching heights of the mountains provides spectacular sights and panoramas for the beauty hungry eyes of nature lovers.

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Many a city in Islamic world and India and Pakistan has the post fix of shareef or sharif with them like Ajmer Sharif, Golra Sharif, Taunsa Sharif, Uch Sharif. This simply refers to the holiness of the city or the respect which people assign to these towns.

The city of Sehwan is also known as Sehvan Sharif because of the tomb of the saint that lies in the town. Sehwan Sharif is a city located in Jamshoro District in the Sindh province. Sehwan is of great antiquity and stands on the west bank of the Indus River, 80 miles

(130 km) North-west of Hyderabad, which is on the other bank. The exact etymology of the name Sehwan is not known but it seems probable that the name Sehwan is a corruption of Siwistan (Seevistan), the kingdom of Raja Dahir which even extended to Punjab under the name Shivi or

Sibi. May be present day town of Sibi has some relevance to it. It was significant enough during the 8th century to be conquered by Muhammad bin Qasim in 711, and two centuries later by Mahmud of Ghazni. An abortive attempt was made by

the Mughal emperor Humayun to capture it on his way to Umarkot but he failed. The city was later captured by his son Akbar. Before this, it was the capital of the Thatta Kingdom under Jani Beg. Jani Beg’s tomb, a beautifully stone-carved structure sands on the Makli Hill in the very close proximity of Thatta.

For centuries Sehwan - or Seevistan has emained a centre and hub of traders and travelers. The city had many caravansara’is at that time. After sinking into oblivion for quite a long time the city regained its importance with the arrival of the saint commonly known as Shahbaz Qalandar. The saint’s stature is so monumental that no other saint can compete with him in Sindh similarly his shrine is an edifice which over-shines other religious edifices of the area.His full name is Sayyid Muhammad Usman Marwandi, Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was son of Ibrahim Mujaab. He lived in Marwand (Afghanistan) when the Ghaznavid (977-1186) and Ghurids (879-1215) ruled in South Asia. The saint was also a contemporary of Rumi (1207-1273) an of Sayyid Jalal


A qawwali sung by many Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi singers and musicians like Noorjahan,

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen, Reshman and Runa Laila, “Lal meri pat rakhiyo bla ...” echoes

the world over today. This poem was originally written by Amir Khusraw, then further modified by Baba

Bulleh shah. It is interesting to note the same poem is modified and is sung by Hindu Sindhis. “O Lal Meri Pat

Rakhiyo Bala Jhule lalan.....” to praise Hindu mystic Jhulelal.

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al-Din Bukhari of Uch Sharif (1199-1291). In Multan he met Baha-ud-din Zakariya of the Suhrwardiyya, Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar of the Chishtiyya and Sayyid Jalaluddin Bukhari. The friendship of these four became legendary, they were known as the Chahar Yar (the four friends). According to some historians the four friends visited various parts of Sindh, Punjab together.

After his long travels to Madina, Karbala and Mashhad to seek spiritual guidance he arrived in Sehwan in 1251 and settled there and establishes a khanqah where he was eventually buried. There is evidence of his presence in Sindh in 1196 when he met Pir Haji Ismail Panhwar of Paat (history unknown) and he is believed to have arrived in Sehwan around 1251. His (khanqah) was a meeting house where he taught Fuqhai Islam and wrote his treatises Mizan-us-Surf, Kism-e-Doyum, Aqd and Zubdah. Shahbaz Qalandar was a profound scholar of religions, fluent in many languages including Pashto, Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Sindhi and Sanskrit. Lal Shahbaz lived a celibate life and died in the year 1274 at the age of 97.

His favourite disciple was Bodla Bahaar, more popularly known as Bodla Bahar Sikandar. A legend is related about him that he used to sweep the place, where the tomb of Shahbaz Qalandar stands today; with his beard singing “mera Lal aayega” many years before actually the saint arrived in Sehwan. The shrine of Bodla Bahar is near the old fortress. A group of singers there celebrate the legends of Lal

Shahbaz and Bodla Bahaar. People of Sehwan tell a strange story about Bodla Bahar. The story is thus narrated that the ruler of Sehwan grew fearsome of the popularity of Lal Shahbaz and Bodla Bahaar and ordered Bodla Bahaar to be chopped into pieces. The soldiers obeyed and the bits of his body were scattered all around. “When Lal Shahbaz heard of the incident, he called the name of his favourite disciple and his chopped-up body magically reassembled to answer his master’s call. When the ruler still did not heed to Lal Shahbaz’s preaching, Bodla Bahaar turned the whole fortress upside down. People claim that the ruins still show an upside-down settlement.” Believe it or not.

TAIL-PIECE: “Many of the proselytizing saints who arrived in Sindh from Iran or Middle East gave their mission a boost by putting down roots in ancient Hindu places of worship, or even by allowing themselves to be identified with Hindu gods. Sehwan Sharif, where Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s tomb is located, is the site of an important Shiva centre.

The name Sehwanistan, as it was known until recently, derives from Sivistan, city of Shiva, and the modern faqirs still dress like Shivite yogis, in torn clothes, with matted hair.

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar also used to be called Raja Bhartari by Hindus. The words Jhule Lal is one of the many Hindu names for god of water. At least until the nineteenth century, it was believed by Muslims and Hindus that the Indus waxed and waned according to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s whim.”

The City of Flowers- Peshawar is the Oldest Living City of South Asia. Due to its strategic location, it has always been attracting adventurous, merchants, emperors, saints, monks and tourists from all over the world and for this reason variety of culture, traditions and heritage is depicted in the city from Central Asian to Persian to Mughal, Sikhs, Hindus and British, we are a blend of all and that’s the reason for our uniqueness.

The word Sethi is derived from Sanskrit which means the head of merchants. The Sethi’s of Peshawar are known to have migrated from Bhera situated on the left bank of river Jehlum at the time when the Sikhs established their rule in Punjab. They first settled at Chamkani a small village across the river Bara and then after a while shifted to Peshawar. From here they spread their international trade to central Asia, Afghanistan, China, Russia, and to other countries. Their

lucrative trade brought in huge profits, which put the family on a sound financial footing.

The Sethi’s were not only rich but also great philanthropists. They are known to have completed several works of public utility such as construction of mosques and bridges. Haji Karim Baksh Sethi will be remembered in history for his donations for the construction of Islamia College Peshawar.

Mohallah Sethian is a living example demonstrating the splendid past of Sethi family. This majestic street is located behind Bazar Kalan, and can be approached by the road from Chowk Yadgar leading to Gorkhuttree.

More than hundred and fifty years ago, interconnected houses were built here. Hidden inside these houses, covering their ceilings and walls like a mantle, is decorative work of exquisite quality. These highly ornamented houses are typical of the domestic architecture of these rich merchants. They have highly decorative carved wooden door, balconies, mirrored, carved and painted reception rooms, ventilated basements, and multi storied houses with open upper storey for catching fresh air thus coping with the harsh weather of Peshawar both in summer and winter. The first house was built by Haji Gul Ahmad in 1832. A total seven such houses were built in the street.

The Department of Archaeology & Museums purchased one of the houses, which is known as “The Sethi house”. The house was constructed in 1884 by Karim Bakhsh Sethi which took thirty-five years to complete.

By: Gulshan Aziz

53 | our Heritage

The house is highly embellished building in a typical oriental style of domestic architecture, presenting highly carved wooden doors, windows, decorated and painted ceilings and elaborate system of light penetrating and air movement.

The house which once was proud of its majestic beauty, started losing its grandeur after the death of its owner. His successors didn’t keep its maintenance and the house fell into mystery. People from different communities occupy it. It remained with them for thirty years. During this period much of the decoration, ornamentation and structure of the building were destroyed by inhabitants or decayed naturally. Finally the Department of Archaeology and Museums formerly N.W.F.P purchased it from the owners for the purpose of conservation and renovation of this historical building and to preserve it for the coming generations.

The building is constructed on a raised platform having three basements of different sizes. The main house is built around a central courtyard which is 10.35m square in plain containing an octagonal fountain in the center.

The courtyard is surrounded by richly carved wooden grills. Inter connected rooms are constructed on all the four sides which are almost rectangular in shapes, while the windows open towards the courtyard. Inside, the rooms are beautiful decorations of floral and geometrical patterns in multiple colors. The ceilings are adorned with excellent wood work and mirrors, in different geometrical designs and colors. An interesting feature in all the rooms is the Chinidaan. Stairs are provided on all three sides of the house which lead up to the first storey. There is an open courtyard on the first storey along with two large and two small rooms.

An interesting aspect of the twelve rooms’ house is that it consists of only four washrooms as in the older days they weren’t that common. Colourful glass ceilings with geometrical designs, woodwork with engravings of various splendid designs on walls, a big resting place, made of wood and called Takht-e-Sulaimani, to take sunshine in winter, beautiful ventilators, slanting window-shades, wooden wall cupboards, chimneys and red bricks stairs with projected wooden frames are some of the other prominent features of the house.

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three more PCH properties at Multan, Mirpur and Hayatabad. Besides the chain of 5-Star hotels, PSL owns sister concern in budget category including Hotel One.

Pearl Continental Rawalpindi

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three more PCH properties at Multan, Mirpur and Hayatabad. Besides the chain of 5-Star hotels, PSL owns sister concern in budget category including Hotel One.

Pearl Continental Rawalpindi

.

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.

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The architectural remains of Sukkur are neither many nor of substantial proportions. The most interesting among them is a small complex comprising three monuments: the tower of Mīr Masūm, the domed octagonal sarāi and the gaurkhānah or goorkhana. All these monuments owe their glory to Mīr Muhammad Masūm, the well known author of the Tārīkh-i Sindh (more commonly known as the Tārīkh-i Masūmī) which he compiled in 1009 AH/1600 AD.

Mīr Masūm is said to have built many building in and around Sukkur.

He was a man of many qualities. He was an expert calligrapher, a renowned

poet, a celebrated historian, an acknowledged tabīb, a gallant soldier and a

proficient diplomat.His great-grandfather was a sayyid and hailed from Tirmidh. Mīr Masūm had a chance meeting with Khwājah

Nizām al-Dīn Ahmad Harawī in 963/1556. Nizām al-Dīn was at that time busy writing the Tabaqāt-i Akbarī and he invited the Mīr to join him in this venture; the Mīr accepted. This gave him access to Akbar. He fought under Khān-i Khānān for the conquest of Sindh for Akbar and won his laurels in the campaign. He was honoured for his services and was appointed ambassador to Iran. After Akbar’s death Jahāngīr made him the amīn al-mulk of upper Sindh. He established his headquarters at Bhakkar and later died there in 1019/1610.

Abu’l-Fazl writes that when the Mīr went to Iran, at every prominent stage, all the way from India to

Isfahān and Tabrīz, he recorded the facts of his travels on masjids and

other buildings.He was an accomplished calligrapher and the inscriptions on the gateway of the fort at Agra

and also those of the Jami Masjid of Fatihpūr Sikrī are his works. The Emperor Jahāngīr in his Tuzk records that there was an inscription on the main gate of the tomb of Salīm Chishtī, of which a qitah was composed and written by Mīr Masūm. The pompous flowery style of this inscription, which uses words for the sake of using them, is worth nothing.

The buildings comprising the architectural complex at Sukkur look much better from a distance than at close quarters. These buildings are plain and uninteresting structures having no special architectural pretensions. The plain plastered exteriors are relieved by a few solitary bands of tiles and by isolated patches of tile work of very inferior quality both in colour and technique. A peculiar pigment used here is a dirty brownish purple which is not found elsewhere as at Hala, Thatta, Maklī or Sehwān. The finish of the tiles is coarse and the patterns are large, lacking both assured technique and mastery of drawing. In spite of all these shortcomings


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the site is a potential record of our history in general and that of Sukkur in particular. The old monuments of Sukkur have a character of their own.

The most conspicuous feature on the skyline of the city of Sukkur is the tall minār of Mir Masum. It is in no way like the Hiran Minar of Shei khūpūra and is in no way to be compared with the Qutb or with the minārs of the Mughals. In its very appearance the minaret appears to have been built of plasticine or pastry dough rather than brick and mortar. It has no very graceful proportions either. The top story, which in most cases has a delicate gallery and balustrade around it and a fine canopy resting on slender columns is void of all such features. The top story is in fact surrounded by an iron cage probably fixed within the last century by the Sukkur municipality. This emphasizes the ungainliness of the top of the minaret. It appears that there was no formal balustrade around the top storey.

The minār rises to a height of 30m and has a

circumference of 25.20m at the base. It is out of

perpendicular. The minār was built at least partially by Mīr Masum himself in

the year 1003/1594. Its date of construction is inscribed in a chronogram in an arch

above its entrance. It is generally believed that this minār was completed in the year 1013/1604 by Mīr Bazurg Munawwar, the son of Mir Masūm.

The entrance of the minār is constructed in a peculiar fashion. Three arches are set one above the other, the lower most one providing access to the interior. These arches are set in a tall rectangular frame. The middle arch is blind and comprises a slab containing

epigraphy while the top arch is again meant to admit light and air to the interior of the minār.

The minār is wholly built of red brick manufactured locally. The tiles used to form circular bands around the body of the minār are of low quality. The only plastered portion is the large vertical rectangular containing three arches, and the crowning chamber having four openings.

There are two bands of tile work around the body of the minār transforming the whole structure

into three stories, the fourth comprising the crowning part is now known locally as the pinjrah (cage). There is absolutely no difference between the three major stories except that each succeeding storey is smaller in circumference at the respective base due to the taper of the minār. The middle storey has two large arched openings to admit light and air, while the first and third stories have small apertures for the same purpose. The crowning part is a small circular room with four arched openings set in rectangular frames. Close to the Minar-i Masumi

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is a sara’i supposed to have been built by the Mir as well.

The founding of religious and secular buildings may be said to have been the hobby of Mīr Masūm. He ornamented his buildings with his own designs in tiles and stone while “in making chronograms and cutting inscriptions, he had no equal.” His

calligraphy was extremely elegant. The domed octagonal building was erected by the Mīr as a rest house, and was built in the year 1004/1595-96.

The building has four arched entrances, one on each of the cardinal sides. The diagonal sides are provided with blind arches and thereby symmetry has been maintained on the eight sides of the octagon. The same arrangement of openings is carried out on the upper portion. The arches above the openings are open while the alternative arches are once again blind. The lower portion of the upper openings has a flat parapet with no

The two octagonal stories are crowned by a smaller hexadecagon. Each of its sixteen sides have an arch within a rectangular frame. Each arched opening is followed by a blind arch. This storey has a parapet made of blind merlons.

The building is crowned by a dome resting on a low drum composed of sixteen sections and decorated with various patterns of brickwork. The apex of the dome has a finial whose foliate base appears to have been tied above by three circular mouldings. These are crowned by a bud-like moulding.

decoration, carving or grille work. The openings above the east and west sides are provided with cut stone balconied windows.

On the exterior a band of tiles runs above the windows immediately above the cornice. Above this are several courses of bricks below the tiled parapet.

The structure is built of bricks similar to those used for the construction of Minār-i Masūmī. Stonework occurs in the balconied openings, the columned gallery inside and the finial of the dome. It is also used for various inscribed slabs. Tiles are used sparingly in this building, especially on the outer surface; they are the poor quality.

City of Sukkur as seen from Minar

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The entrance to the building is through four arched entrances. The first story internally rises to an approximate height of 4.50m. At this height the interior is encircled by a narrow gallery supported on slim octagonal columns with square capitals. The gallery has a balustrade about 45cm in height made of terracotta in geometric patterns. The underside of the gallery bears numerous inscriptions in nastaclīq in Persian.

So far as decoration is concerned, the interior of this building is more

impressive than the exterior. The whole of the interior is punctuated with

chīnī work or coloured pottery decoration.

The rectangular frames of the arches are made of bricks laid in Thatta and Maklī style that is, bands of white plaster make horizontal lines on the sides of the arches and vertical lines above and below them.

The spandrels are filled with tile-work. Four sides have spandrels with tiles bearing geometric patterns while the other four bear tiles with floral patterns. Above the arches and

their spandrels and following the brickwork are four horizontal panels on each side. Each of these bear a

hemistich in Persian in nastaclīq worked in stone.

This arrangement of bricks, tiles and inscription is carried up to the base of the dome. The interior of the dome bears an elaborated geometric design, a simpler version of that at the mosque of Shāhjahān at Thatta. It is an excellent arrangement: an eight sided star is placed right at the apex and from it spring out various geometric shapes which travel down to create a chevron design above the arches of the 16-sided stories. I have no doubt that if this work is of Mīr Masūm he was a great genius. The chevron designs formed by brickwork are similar to those existing in the Tomb of Mīrzā Tughril Beg at the Maklī Hill near Thatta.

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Trout is the common name for a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus.

Trout are closely related to salmon and char (or charr): species that occur in the same genera as do the trout.

Most trout such as lake trout live in freshwater lakes or rivers exclusively, while there are others such as the rainbow trout which may either live throughout their lives in fresh water, or spend two or three years at sea before returning to fresh water to spawn, a habit more typical of salmon. A rainbow trout that spends time in the ocean is called a steelhead.

Trout are an important food source for humans and wildlife including brown bears, birds of prey such as eagles, and other animals.

Trout that live in different environments can have dramatically different colorations and patterns. Mostly, these colors and patterns form as camouflage, based on the surroundings, and will change as the fish moves to different habitats. Trout which have newly returned from the sea, can look very silvery, while the same fish living in a small stream or in an alpine lakes could have pronounced markings and more vivid colorations, it is also possible that in some species this signifies that they are ready to mate.

They can look like an entirely different fish outside of spawning season. It is virtually impossible

Lately the Northern areas of Pakistan have now become more accessible during the past decade because of better logistics and improvement in the infrastructure of the road networks of northern areas in the shape of hotel accommodation, food outlets and availability of local guides who can help you to access the remote areas of Pakistan.

After the 2005 earthquake the road from BALAKOT to NARAN and onwards to BABU SAR PASS has been completely rebuilt and it is a pleasure to drive on this road except for a few bad patches between BAISAL to BARAWAI.

Many of you must have visited KAGHAN valley lately, but how many of you came back without tasting the delicacy of northern area called the TROUT.

to define a particular color pattern as belonging to a specific breed; however, in general, wild fish are claimed to have more vivid colors and patterns.

Trout are usually found in cool clear streams and lakes (10–16 °C). Young trout are referred to as troutlet, troutling or fry. They are distributed naturally throughout North America, northern Asia and Europe.

The closest resemblance of seema trout and other trout family can be found in the Himalayan Regions of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and in Tian Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

Trout generally feed on other fish, and soft bodied aquatic invertebrates, such as flies, mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies,mollusks and dragonflies. In lakes, various species of zooplankton often form a large part of the diet. Trout may feed on shrimp, mealworms, bloodworms, insects, small animal parts, and eel.

As a group, trout are somewhat bony, but the flesh is generally considered to be tasty. The flavor of the flesh is heavily influenced by the diet of the fish. For example, trout that have been feeding on crustaceans tend to be more flavorful than those feeding primarily on insect life. Additionally, they provide a good fight when caught with a hook and line, and are sought after recreationally as an anglers sport. Because of their popularity, trout are often raised on fish farms and planted into heavily fished waters, in an effort to mask the effects of overfishing. Farmed trout and char are also sold

By: Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

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commercially as food fish.

It was on 09th of August 2015 while returning from NARAN after my successful expedition to ANSOO JHEEL and surroundings that after proceeding for 30 minutes we saw many road side cafes sporting the sign of live Trout for eating. The women folk who were accompanying me made me halt as they were adamant and obdurate not to budge and inch further without savoring the delicacy of THE NARAN TROUT. This came as jolt to me as there was already delay on my travelling time. The only solution of this demand of the home ministries was to give into their demands. We got down at a road side restaurant in JALWAHRAN where the women folk threw caution to the wind and took off their shoes along with the children and went to the river bank to stand in the cold deep gushing water.

I was left with the restaurant staff to order Trout fish for eating which they take out by the help of a net from small fish pond which has running cold water. This trout fish is a delicacy of the northern areas and a sumptuous meal of trout should not be missed when one visits the northern areas.

Here I would like to explain and elaborate for my readers that these trout’s which you see and eat on the road side ponds are not the naturally occurring trout but in fact are raised from trout seedlings and nurtured and reared for maturity in trout farms which are found in abundance in Kaghan Valley especially in Parras, Jared, and Sheenu, which are small hamlets on the road to Balakot from Naran.

As of 2014, onwards an enzymatic process has been used to make a high-protein fish feed from barley, which is suitable for trout and it seedlings.

These artificially nurtured trout fish cost about Rs. 1200 to 1800/- per Kilo but the one caught from Kunar River by anglers and netting cost

about Rs.3500 to 4000 per kilo and their taste is much better than the artificial ones and are also called the Brown Trout.

Fresh running water is required to keep this fish

alive and in these ponds the temperature is made

colder to 10 to 16 degrees C otherwise the fish will die.

(Gram Flour) in a small quantity and finally marinated with lemon. Trout is sometimes prepared by smoking on grill.

The fish is then fried in very hot oil and served in small pieces along with mint sauce, ketchup and freshly baked crisp Nan from the Tandoor.

The methodology of eating this fish also requires patience, dexterity and meticulous fingers to sort out the spicules which are very fine and sometimes not visible to the naked

As the trout was being cleaned, processed and cooked I interacted with the cook and asked him about the recipe for cooking the Trout.

The trout is first cleaned of its fins, head, tail and its stomach contents which are used to make feed for the fishes then it cleaned with water and tinged with salt and left for a few minutes to dry.

The recipe for cooking the trout is first to add Salt then Chat Masala then mixed Masala then fish Masala, Black pepper white vinegar, Basen

eye hence the tactile sensitization of your fingers is required to make the right morsel for eating lest a spicule finds it way into your throat which may cause a minor emergency.

Next time when you go to the Northern areas the savoring of this sumptuous, scrumptious and tasty Trout Fish the delicacy of the KAGHAN VALLEY must be on top priority of your itinerary.

under which the seven Agencies and seven F.R’s of F.A.T.A came in to being.

Sir, Mortimer Durand negotiated with Abdur Rahman Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan, the frontier between modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Durand Line is named after him and remains the international boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan,

About two and half decades back it was Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1986 that the events in FATA and across the DURAND LINE caught my attention.

I started my research on the historical significance of DURAND LINE and FATA and was amazed at the rich history and geography which we have as a legacy and as a Pakistani one should feel proud of.

DURAND LINE was demarcated in 1893 under the aegis of Sir Mortimer Durand who was a British diplomat in India and later on the Lord Curzon Accord of 1902, came in to existence

officially recognized by most nations but an ongoing point of contention between the two countries.

In 1893, Sir Mortimer Durand was deputed to Kabul by the government of British India for the purpose of settling an exchange of territory required by the demarcation of the boundary between north eastern Afghanistan and the Russian possessions, and in order to discuss with the Amir Abdur Rahman Khan other important matters.

In 1893 a Royal Commission was established to demarcate the boundary between Afghanistan and the British-governed India. The

By: Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

Sir Mortimer Durand

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two parties camped at Parachinar, now part of FATA Pakistan, near Khost Afghanistan. From the British side the camp was attended by Mortimer Durand and Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum, the Political Agent for Khyber. The Afghans were represented by Sahibzada Abdul Latif and Governor Sardar Shireendil Khan representing Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. The Durand Road in Lahore is also named after him.

The biographies of such people has also been of great interest to me and I started reading about the life history of Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, (14 February 1850 – 8 June 1924).

He was born at Sehore, Bhopal, India, he was the son of Sir Henry Marion Durand, and he was educated at Black Heath Proprietary School, and Tonbridge School.

Durand entered the Indian Civil Service in 1873. During the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) he was Political Secretary at Kabul. From 1884 to 1894, he was Foreign Secretary of India. Durand was appointed Minister plenipotentiary at Tehran in 1894.During my research on his life I came to know that he died in Polden, Somerset, England in 1924, but from my interaction with many people from FATA and N.W.F.P it came as a surprise to me that Sir Durand is buried in a churchyard in D. I Khan. Somehow or the other my curious and insatiable mind was never at rest when there were two paradoxical situations which confronted me.

On one hand Wikipedia and history books clearly stated that he died in Polden Somerset England, but the narratives of the locals from FATA and K.P.K revealed that he was buried in D. I Khan.

Finally on 04th September 2015, my training assignment took me to D. I Khan and after I had completed my training session that I put this question to my participants and apprised them of the great question mark which was churning like a cog in the wheel in my mind.

One of my participants volunteered to show me the grave of Sir Durand

in the Thomas church on the circular road in the cantt area. It was about 6.30 in the evening when I was still wearing my best suit that we stopped at the security check post of D.I Khan Cantonment where my army credentials came in handy and I was waved passed the security barrier and on the right side was SAINT THOMAS CHURCH.

Sir Mortimer Durand

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As I was disembarking from my vehicle when one church attendant asked me where I was going to which I replied that I had come see the grave of Sir Durand on this he became quite excited and opened the gates of church for me to take my car inside.

I parked my car in front of main door of the church and started walking towards the back side of the church which was quite a walk for me as my expensive Brock shoes were already pinching me as I was standing the whole day from 9 am to 5 pm during my training and secondly I had to walk on uneven grounds with dugouts and huge grass which was an impediment to my progress.

Finally after five minutes of laborious walk that I reached the grave of Sir Durand but my nearly 30 years of esotericism and recondite thinking came to an ease and the question that had been boggling my mind for the past three decades was finally answered and my insatiable quest for an answer came to an end.

I started taking photographs of the grave and tried to bring out the inscriptions and epitaph written on it and it was time for me to shout Eureka like Archimedes.

The person buried there was Sir Hennery Marion Durand and not Sir Mortimer Durand actually they are Father and Son.Sir Henry Marion Duran was born on 6th November 1812 and died on 1st January 1871 at the age of 58 years in Tank now part of D.I Khan

Major-General Sir Henry Marion Durand, was a British Indian Army Engineer officer and a colonial administrator.

After training at the East India Company›s Military Seminary at Addiscombe (1827-8), Durand left Britain for India in 1829, arriving in May 1830. He served initially as

Second Lieutenant in the Bengal Engineers. He attained the rank of Major-General, and served in the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842), and the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849).

During the Indian war of independence (1857–1858), he served as a military commander in western Malwa. Promoted to major-general, he served finally as Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab (1 June 1870 – 1 January 1871).

The death of Henry Marion Durand is well documented that on the evening of 31st December 1870, he was thrown from an elephant as he attempted to pass under a low gateway arch in the city of Tank.

The story behind this episode is that the tribal’s of that area invited him to visit one of the narrow bazaars in Tank which had a high arched

gate under which Henry Marion Durand had passed many times but the tribal’s in order to avenge the invasion and privacy of the homes at the hands of the British made the arch very low to which Sir, Henry Marion Durand had no fore knowledge.

He fell heavily, and died the following day and was buried in a St. Thomas Church in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Thus my quest for knowledge and adventurism came to an end for the time being…………..but there will be more areas of Pakistan to be seen and more stories to be told, so why don’t you be a part of my team in my next outdoor venture.

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Pearl-Continental Lahore

Karachi

Rawalpindi

Peshawar

Muzaffarabad

LAHORE

BHURBAN

ISLAMABAD

KARACHI

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Heritage Magazine Issue #26

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