By Rozina Ahmed Marriage is a social contract between an adult man and woman with their free will to live a life together. The success of this relationship depends on shared ideals, mutual respect, dignity and equal distribution of economic and social responsibilities. However, historically, women have always been disadvantaged and exploited in the name of customs and traditions associated …

I lost my brother but not the courage we shared, says the award-winning documentary ‘Unsung Heroes’ Pakistan Shero fame climber Shakela Nazar By Raheem Sherazi Shakeela and Nadeema during the climb of Yazghel Sar Peak in Shimshal. Photo: Qudrat Ali “Look! I did what I could not in your life without you.” These are the words of Shakila Numa, one …

Building and road division of the PWD department officials, contractors and representatives should be made accountable for their involvement in plundering public money and delay in completing the Rs20m project Naveed Toshee & Qurban Rahim Chipursan road issue has once again popped up in media and not for good reason. A photo, showing a portion of the road collapsed, is …

Dr Lara Karasik Gahvora (cradle) is the oldest device which has been used by families for centuries in High Asia and Central Asia regions for containing and cradling of babies. It is still preserved in Badakhshan, Pamirs, Kashgar, Srikol, Hunza, Ghizer and Broghel, Chitral for newborn babies rearing. It is noteworthy that even among modern families in cities, you easily …

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 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 Sub-Division, …

GILGIT: Four more prisoners were released from Damas jail in Ghizer District on Friday. According to a notification issued by the Home Department of Gilgit-Baltistan, the authorities have issued release order of Aleemuallah Khan, Musa Khan, Irfan Ali and Shukrullah Baig. Notification of the Provincial Government/Home department for the release of the four prisoners The interim government/home department with the …

By Amir Roshan A massive protest joined by mourners on the occasion of Chehlum of the martyrs of Karbala at Aliabad Hunza on October 8. Photo by Ali Ahmed As the sit-in and protests for the release of Awami Workers Party (AWP) leaders Baba Jan, Aleem Ahmed, Iftikhar Karbalai, and 11 other imprisoned comrades continue, more people pour into Aliabad …

by Abdullah Bai Islamabad:  A climber from Poland has fallen to death at a mountain peak in Shimshal’s Ghujerav valley while his friend has been rescued. According to Shaheen Baig, leader of a rescue team, the two Polish climbers, llzuck Michael Jakob and Bogdanski Jakob had gone to Ghujerav Valley three days ago to attempt a little-known 6,200m-high Dhee Sar …

High Asia Herald Exclusive Islamabad:  Two Polish mountain climbers are stranded at a little known peak in Ghujerav valley of Shimshal in upper Hunza, The High Asia Herald learnt late Thursday evening. A seven-member rescue team from Shimshal led by Shaheen Baig, a renowned mountaineer and K2 summiteer has been sent for the rescue operation. The two climbers with their …

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 …

Agricultural village in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Photo by Christopher Wilton-Steer/UCA Herald Report In Pamir mountains of High Asia region with limited agricultural lands, rugged topography, and large gradients, the preservation of agrobiodiversity and an appreciation of traditional knowledge about food systems are essential ingredients of a sustainable future. Hence the University of Central Asia’s Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) has begun …

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 …

The case of the Shughni language by Farman Ali The Pamirian languages are spoken by people in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral regions of Pakistan as well as Xinjiang province of China. The Pamirian Languages — a linguistic term — has been employed even before the advent of the Soviet Union, the first socialist state, by one of the pioneers …