First Chitrali trader delivered presentation in 7th Session of United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at New York.
CHITRAL: Abdul Nasir is the first Chitrali trader who is also representative of Indigenous People Survival Foundation of Chitral delivered his presentation before the 7th session of United Nation permanent Forum on indigenous issues. He has the destitute of first trader and social worker of Chitral who also representing Indigenous People of Chitral. During his presentation before the 7th Session of UN he said that indigenous people of Chitral has a special consultative status with the Economic and social council of UN. The district of Chitral is situated in the Hindukush Himalaya,s mountain range with a population some four hundred thousands. He said that indigenous people in Chitral are facing the danger of extinction due to the loss due to the loss of their properties in the hands of alien people from big cities.
United Nation declaration on indigenous people should be involved to safeguard the rights of indigenous people through the government of Pakistan. The indigenous Khoh and Kalash tribes living in the Hindukush Mountain belt of Northern Pakistan are facing the danger of the extinction of their culture, language, folklore music and folk games due to high pressure from outsiders changing the demography of the area in a fast pace of commercial gains. UN Declaration on indigenous people may be invoked through the government of Pakistan to protect the language, culture, folklore and folk music folk, dances of indigenous people in Chitral.
Quoting towards natural disaster towards indigenous people he said that Snoghur was a famous beautiful and historical valley which was damaged by heavy flood after melting thousands of years old glaciers due to climatically changes. The indigenous people gradually migrating to some safe places in urban areas and we should to control this unnatural migration for preservation of their real culture. He said that mass migration to urban areas in search of livelihood is the biggest threat for indigenous people all over the world which is need to take this problem on urgent basis to protect and keep settled the local people in their places of origin.
Chitral is the only part of the world having rich potential of culture like Kalash community as they only existing in Chitral. They have their unique culture, customs, tradition, and ways of to celebrate and observe their sorrow and pleasures occasions. The Kalash people are not living any where in the world except Chitral they have thousands of years old history and very unique culture with their unique dress, ways of living and different functions in case of wedding and death and deserving of our attention to be preserve. They ruled once at Chitral State but now their population is reducing by one reason or other and they are not more than 3000 only in three valleys.
It is worth to mention here that Abdul Nasir is the first trader of Chitral who attended 7th Session of UN and delivered his presentation as representative of IPSF. Earlier that he was also sent on tour to Russia and Egypt by a multinational paint company.
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