PESHAWAR: The NWFP government has declared tourism an industry and decided to develop a master plan for its promotion.NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti issued directives to this effect during his last week visit to Hazara division, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told a press conference here on Saturday.The chief minister along with some cabinet members and officials visited different parts of the hilly Hazara region and inspected ongoing uplift projects and also approved some new schemes for the tourism sector, he said.The Frontier province had immense potential for tourism, but its present utilisation was less than five per cent, therefore, the provincial government had decided to formulate a master plan for its promotion, the minister added.The chief minister had declared tourism an industry and announced holding Kaghan festival on the pattern of Shandur festival on yearly basis from next summer season. Similarly, the chief minister also issued directives for...

CAMAT [Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism] celebrated International Climatic Day of Action, Oct 24, 2009 in the Kalash valley of Rumbor, district Chitral with a philosophy of ‘think globally, act locally’ in mind. The theme of the day was “The Impacts of Global Warming on the Kalash Communities”. Kalash ECOCLUB, school students, local leadership and woman representatives participated. The day was observed in about 170 countries around the world aimed at awareness raising regarding the impacts of global warming on the natural environment and ecology that is likely to cast negative impacts on all organisms living on the planet earth. The participants felt proud in being part of the noble cause being celebrated around the world on Oct 24, 2009.In the meantime, they recorded their apprehension that the natural environment of the Kalash valleys—Rumbor, Burmborate and Birir—is certainly threatened due to climatic changes leading to longer summers, short autumns and...

It is a bright morning on July 9, 2007 at the end of the Shandur polo festival that with a group of 6 people we start from Shandur over Chamarkand Pass to participate in the Broghil festival and to continue our trek over Darkhot pass further on to the Yasin valley. After night stay at the Chamarkand pass (4328m), we manage to get to the village Chapali (2500m), 8 kilometer north to Mastuj. This village is acknowledged for its traditional folksingers, folkdancers, solo sitar players and vocalists. We stay with Mr Akhtar Murad Khan, whose house perches atop the mountain overlooking the village.The next morning we have a thorough visit to have glimpses of the women activities in handicraft, cooking and the rest of the household chore. We observe several women harvesting wheat crops. Many more are occupied with weaving traditional woolen carpet, goat-hair carpet and embroidered women cap. Every house...

Hi everybody, please visit the following website link to know about ecotourism in Chitral, northern Pakistan:http://www.yourtravelchoice.org/2009/08/co...atives-chitral/http://www.whl.travel/blog/?p=1751#more-1751You can please arrange your lifetime trip to have the glimpses of the prestine natural environment and traditional culture in the Hindu Kush region.Thanks for your time!

The Kalash of the forlorn Kafiristan valleys in Chitral district are celebrating the summer harvest festival which they call 'Uchal' culminating on 22 August. The festival started early August with sporadic dancing and merry making and thanking nature for granting them the wheat harvest season. Hectic shopping activity by the Kalash was monitored in Chitral town in the last couple of days in preparation of the climaxing day of the festival on Saturday.Coutesy: Chitral News

Dear All,Please visit the following website link to watch an interview of the Kalash cultural group in one of Pakistan's famous TV channels:http://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=o4GPNISsuXMThe member of the groups are:1) Fatima2) Mir Azam3) Balawoosht4) Faizi Khan5) Kirn6) Tufan Gul7) Shams Uddin Those shown in the interview are:1) Fatima2) Shams Uddin3) Mir AzamMr Mir Azam, the known pature flutists in the Kalash valleys, is playing flute, the melody of which directly links one's soul to nature!The objective of these activities is:1) To highlight the colouful but threatened culture of the Kalash communities2) To make the culture a source of income for the Kalash communities so that they will feel the importance of the culture, which in turn, bolster our determination to protect it.Hope you will enjoy it.Thanks!

Reputed British paper Guardian, has written a detailed account of Shandur Polo, played at the world’s highest ground, and appreciated people’s resolve to hold the festival despite militancy threat. “Despite fears of a Taliban attack, high in Pakistan’s Hindu Kush, a historic sporting tournament carried on regardless,” Guardian’s noted writer Declan Walsh wrote.But this epic spectacle, which unfolded in Pakistan’s North West Frontier province this week, was a matter of sport, not war. And despite threats of dire violence, there wasn’t a Taliban fighter in sight, he wrote in his dispatch from Shandur.Every summer polo teams from the mountain districts of Chitral and Gilgit converge on the Shandur Pass, a spectacular natural stadium surrounded by snow-sprinkled peaks which, at an altitude of over 12,000 ft, is the world’s highest polo ground.He wrote that this year the tournament was nearly cancelled as the district mayor called on the government to scrap the...

Lonely Planet terms it ‘Chaghbibi—Gokhshal—Chimirsan—Rumbor Trek’. I would rather describe it ‘Trekking through the Nomads’ Land’ given the frequency with which one comes across the nomads in the course of his/her trek illustrated by scenic beauties—dense forests of pine, cedar and oak, milky streams, pure icy springs, colorful flowers and most noticeably an aura of pastoral life. Day 1:We start trekking from the Chitral town with quite heavy supplies—food items, utensils, clothes and sleeping bags—up to the Chaghbini Hut (2925m) of the Chitral Gol Natural Park and get here in about 7 hours. The watchers on duty here are hospitable, friendly and easy going people, who welcome us into the compound of the hut with low boundary walls located in the forest overlooking the Terich Mir and Booni Zom to the North and Broz village of Chitral to the south. Near the sunset as the golden rays hit the landscape here...

PESHAWAR, 18 June 09: : "Shandur Polo Festival 2009 will be held this year according to plans and this year’s event would be dedicated to the martyred soldiers of the ongoing operation in Malakand Divison, particularly those belonging to Chitral and Gilgit areas. The event would honour the families of those courageous soldiers who sacrificed their lives so there can be peace and stability in the rest of the country” This was stated by Minister for Sports, Tourism, Culture Syed Aqil Shah while chairing a preliminary meeting to discuss arrangements for the upcoming event.“Shandur Polo is a traditional festive game which is played annually between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit since many years. It is played on the roof of the world and the game tests the bravery and courage of the players to the limit. We need to raise the morale of the public. Let us as a nation,...

District Polo Cup Tournament starts in Chitral town today e.g. on June 14 in the afternoon. as many as 40 polo teams from the remote valleys of the Chitral district have come to participate in the mega event of the free style polo. The event is intended to build the capacity and ensure the fitness of the players of Chitral polo team before the Shandur polo event commencing from July 7 to 9.