National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Chairman Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan visited Bumborat village of Kalash valley on a fact-finding mission regarding the issues that the Kalash community faces.
Elites from three valleys – Kalash Birir, Rumber and Bumborat – attended the open forum and briefed him about their problems. Saifullah Jan from Rumbor; Baharam Shah, Imran Kabir and Akram Hussain from Bumborat, Shah Hussain and Unat Baig from Birir attended the session and informed about the problems that their valleys face.
They said that the people of Kalash have been living in these three valleys and are facing specific problems.
They said that the Oak forest was their cultural and traditional heritage and Kalash tribe distributed their land along with Oak forest trees, but in present land settlement, Patwaris have declared them as state property and no person in Kalash put his signature on the settlement.
The elites alleged that land settlement staff was drawing their salaries at home without performing their duty and that is why that after a long time and spending huge amount of money, the land settlement was still not complete.
“There is no girls school or colleges in three valleys of Kalash as well as they also are facing lack of health facilities,” they added. The road condition was deteriorated and sometimes patient expire before reaching to hospital.
Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan said that NCHR was an independent organization, which plays a role to ensure human rights. He expressed his concern over the dilapidated conditions of the roads. The NHCR chairman visited Kalash Dur, Museum and Kalash school, where he was briefed by Akram Hussain, Imran Kabir regarding the conservation of Kalash culture in this museum and primary school for Kalash students.
He also visited old graveyard of Kalash and central village of Kalash Krakar and Justakan their worship place. “Kalash is a beautiful valley where civilised and peace-loving people have been living,” he said.