News Desk Islamabad: In an era of global economic crisis a young entrepreneur from Chitral has embarked on an ambitious plan to combat poverty in the Hindu Kush mountainous region. Through his startup, AIVestify, Khairuddin Shadani, aims to eliminate poverty in his scenic valley by 2030 using artificial intelligence (AI) as an information partner to support the “Trillion-Dollar-Fund” (TDF). The …

The two-day events aimed at providing entertainment and engaging 90 prisoners including four women in healthy activities By Gul Hamaad Farooqi Chitral: A two-day sports festival was organized for the Chitral District Jail inmates for the first time in the history of the region. There are 90 prisoners, including four women. The sports event was organized by District Sports Officer …

Steve Cole, Erin Guiltenane In the largest-ever study of glacial lakes, researchers using 30 years of NASA satellite data have found that the volume of these lakes worldwide has increased by about 50% since 1990 as glaciers melt and retreat due to climate change. The findings, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, will help researchers assessing the potential hazards …

By Gul Hameed Farooqui A beautiful view of Oveer Lasht Valley in Upper Chitral now facing climate-change-induced danger. Photo by Gul Hamaad Farooqui/HAH Daniyal visited his scenic valley Oveer Lasht nestled in the Hindu Kush Mountains to enjoy summer vacations with peace of mind and enjoy its tranquillity escaping the humid and scorching hot weather of Karachi. But to his …

For years, suicide cases in Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan have been haunting the mountain communities, but a fresh wave of suicides has left them baffled. Ahmad Faraz sheds light on the issue with a nuanced understanding of the local milieu.

By Aziz Ali Dad I just received sad news from Germany that Professor Dr Georg Buddruss an internationally acclaimed scholar on High Asia, linguist and specialist inIndian languages breathed his last in Mainz, Germany on August 13, 2021, at the age of 91. He was a great scholar of Nuristani and Dardic languages in northern Pakistan. Dr Buddruss was among …

In the remote mountain region of Chitral valley of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Kalash people, followers of a pre-Islamic religion, mark death as few on the planet do. With dance, drums, and gunfire, the colorful funeral ritual is an elaborate and expensive celebration of a loved one's life.

by Aziz Ali Dad Let me start this review of the book “Hunza Matters: Bordering and ordering between ancient and new Silk Roads” by indulging in subjectivity. In 2015, I was a Crossroads Asia fellow at Modern Oriental Institute in Berlin, Germany. As a part of socialization, we interacted with different researchers and members of academia. On one weekend my …

By Ashiq Ali Broghil, the most neglected valley in Hindu Kush Mountains, need government attention The Pamiri Wakhi people live in the remotest and most mountainous regions around Pamir Knot in four countries of High Asia — Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan and Pakistan. In Pakistan, the Wakhi people live in three regions – Chitral’s Broghil Valley in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Hunza District’s Gojal …

Mushtaq Ahmad There is a long history of global pandemic and epidemics, but there is also evidence that all these have been challenged by man. Consequently, there have been great losses of human lives coupled with social and economic vicissitudes as well. At the same time, every major crisis brings opportunities to rethink our systems and make them stronger to future …

Pakistan's tourism sector suffered another jolt as the PTDC has announced to shut down its 30 motels and terminate the services of its 450 permanent employees, prompting a strong reaction from social media activists and employees over the government’s decision

Herald Report Islamabad: A digital rights watchdog has expressed concern at the difficulties being faced by students in attending online classes due to lack of Internet facilities in the rural area of Pakistan and mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. The organisation has urged the government to provide an appropriate recourse for the students who are unable to access e-learning modules during …

Naba Basar discovers the secrets of healthy, organic and innovative mountain cuisine from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. She shares her experiences of the mountain regions adventure, hospitality, social customs, lifestyle in a series of features for The High Asia Herald readers. Chilpindok – large chapattis spread with pai, homemade yogurt and qurut dried yugart and butter/apricot oil, stacked in piles. It …

Naba Basar discovers the secrets of healthy, organic and innovative mountain cuisine from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. She shares her experiences of the mountain regions adventure, hospitality, social customs, lifestyle in a series of features for The High Asia Herald readers. Soups   Don’t expect to find the Chinese soups you are accustomed to in cities. You may or may not …

Naba Basar discovers the secrets of healthy, organic and innovative mountain cuisine from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. She shares her experiences of the mountain regions adventure, hospitality, social customs, lifestyle in a series of features for The High Asia Herald readers. Food should never be the sole reason to travel. Fortuitously for many, it is a popular trend for both domestic …