Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Gilgit Baltistan (GB) diaspora, based in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, held a mega event at Lok Virsa on Sunday to celebrate the hues and colours of indigenous culture of the picturesque Ghizer district of GB.

Organised by a ‘Ghizer Social and Cultural Forum (GSCF)’, the event featured musical performances, theatre, cultural exhibitions, and performances showcasing folk culture of the remote mountainous Ghizer district which is located some hundred kilometres North of Gilgit city. Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman was the chief guest of the event, which was also attended by Lok Virsa Director General Dr Fouzia Saeed, provincial ministers and members of the GB Assembly, besides members of civil society, students, professionals and families from GB in.

The event was aimed at fostering efforts to preserve the indigenous culture and languages that are fast losing relevance due to the onslaught of dominating cultures and languages in a fast changing world. Ghizer is home to some Five (5) different languages, namely Shina, Khuwar, Brushaski, Wakhi and Gojri, spoken in over a dozen different accents across the region. UNESCO has already listed Wakhi, Khuwar and Brushaski among the vulnerable languages that have witnessed a drastic decrease in the number of its speakers. To the local people’s dismay, other important elements of the culture such as folklore, cultural festivals, and customs and traditions are being replaced to make way for fast-paced modernization.

“The government of Gilgit-Baltistan is fully cognisant of the tourism potential of the province, including Ghizer district,” Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman said in his address. “We are making every effort to exploit this immense potential to use it for supplementing the socio – economic wellbeing of our people. District Ghizer is our top priority. The government plans to begin work on Ghizer Expressway in March 2018 which once completed will boost tourism in the area manifolds. I appreciate Ghizer Social and Cultural Forum for organizing an excellent show to promote tourism and preserve culture.”

“The event aims at promoting tourism in GB, particularly in Ghizer district, which offers immense potential in the field,” GSCF President Waheed Rehmat said.

Published in Daily Times, January 1^st 2018.