Like almost everyone I know who has travelled around Gilgit Baltistan, fond memories of the unimaginable scenery and the hospitable people creates an emotional bond with a region that hardly ever makes the headlines....unless, the news has something terribly bad to highlight.
Be it the tragic murder of a climbing expedition, floods or deforestation, you know that GB will make headlines only when the tragedy falling upon the region, matches the daily upheaval that faces the rest of the country.
For many people, myself included, Gilgit Baltistan has always been something to boast about.
Talk about the mountains, share some pictures.
Thanks to the benevolence of mother nature, GB is a part of Pakistan that advertises itself, and doesn't require introductions. Obsessed with how our country is portrayed in the foreign media and amongst outsiders, it is always handy to remember the name of a few peaks, glaciers and town's to highlight the regions awesomeness.
However, it is this admiration, all be it from a distance that has also alienated us from the people of the region and vice versa.
Recall the rise of militancy in Swat. All we heard and read was references to Swat as the "Switzerland of Pakistan". That was pretty much what most people knew about the region. Who knew about the people, the various linguistic and ethnic identities, local politics or even wider geography of the region? The "Switzerland of Pakistan" was what people knew the region for, even though they had never been to Switzerland themselves.
The same is true for GB. The region has been devastated by natural disasters in the past. Yet the important thing that people in the rest of the country highlight is how "strategic links" with China and Siachen is threatened.
When an avalanche led to the creation of the Attabad/Gojal Lake, our media was full of blogs and articles about the "pristine waters", "beautiful waters" and "Allah's gift" to Pakistan. The many thousands of people who lost their land, homes and belongings were never factored in. Still living in various refugee camps along the KKH, they are all but forgotten, but the obligatory picture of the "pretty lake" is shared on social media, as if the beauty of the lake somehow compensates for the suffering of the local people.
The power and influence of the timber mafia has led to extreme deforestation. Does anyone care? No. Why? Most probably because the still images that we associate the region with show pretty sceneries and the damage and long term effects of mass deforestation has not registered. Even if we are in the "know", we casually assume that the local people must be grateful for the economic activity (not).
Now had we not faced the 2010 floods I would probably understand this view. But given the devastation those floods caused, and the obvious contribution deforestation played towards intensifying the flooding, one would think they would be a greater outcry over the rape of "Allah's blessing to Pakistan".Yet silence.
Today, the mass murder of a climbing expedition is likely to be the death knell of the tourism industry in the region. Yes, many domestic tourists do visit the region. However, the large climbing expeditions, which are spread over a long period of time, require a large number of supplies, porters, guides, etc, generate badly needed income in the region. The government says that they will "monitor foreigners in Pakistan" for their security. Well, I may be wrong, but climbing expeditions spending tens of thousands of dollars are unlikely to line up now to come to Pakistan, only to feel as if they are under constant observation. Given our failure to protect our fellow citizens it's debatable how effective such measures would be. Such targeted violence also adds to other problems. For example, expeditions may find it difficult or expensive, to find adequate insurance to cover their trips. Private companies such as The North Face and Red Bull which have been sponsoring climbing and gliding expeditions may back out, not wanting to risk involvement.
The demise of the tourism industry cannot be overestimated. In 2010, I was travelling through the region with a group of foreign friends. Along the KKH and other highways, we were stopped so that foreign nationals could fill out a register. Entering Deosai Plains the register had about 42 names by end July, 2010. Looking back to 2004, they were 5000 or so names uptil the same point of that year. Talking to the policeman and national park officials, they all shared how dramatically the number of tourists had fallen away.
This year had seen a large increase in the number of climbing expeditions. Such groups are more aware of the risks, but are also aware of local conditions. I doubt anyone would have thought that there was any risk of being attacked at a base camp at 4200 meters.
The cost of this tragedy will be borne by people who have very little to loose to begin with. Isolated villages along the way to various peaks, who make some money during the tourist season offering their services as porters, cooks, selling fruits and vegetables, etc.
The rest of the country views the KKH and GB as something to boast about, when it comes to natural beauty, or a strategic asset in terms of Siachen of China. The people, nature, wildlife aresecondary of no concern. May it be massive logging and deforestation, or corps commanders and their buddies flying into Fairy Meadows for some illegal hunting that the local people abhor, but obviously can do nothing to stop.
Now, this is not to say that people in FATA, Balochistan or indeed any other part of the country are any less "othered away" from the nation's imagination. I believe these arguments apply to them as well. However, I guess in this case, personal experiences shape my views of a region and people, who I would hope are more than just pictures in an imagined, perfect postcard.
Perhaps we need to push people to scratch beneath the surface and appreciate that people living in "the Alps of Pakistan", "majestic heavens", "breathtaking beauty", "mighty mountains", etc, are mostly stricken by poverty and malnutrition.
Who will spare a thought for them?
I have no doubt in the coming days security analysts will churn out opinion pieces on how foreign forces are trying to scuttle the "strategic economic corridor" and the "potential of Gwadar", yet the victims will just be a number, the people of the region will remain unmentioned and references to "breathtaking beauty" shall be frequent.
Be it the tragic murder of a climbing expedition, floods or deforestation, you know that GB will make headlines only when the tragedy falling upon the region, matches the daily upheaval that faces the rest of the country.
For many people, myself included, Gilgit Baltistan has always been something to boast about.
Talk about the mountains, share some pictures.
Thanks to the benevolence of mother nature, GB is a part of Pakistan that advertises itself, and doesn't require introductions. Obsessed with how our country is portrayed in the foreign media and amongst outsiders, it is always handy to remember the name of a few peaks, glaciers and town's to highlight the regions awesomeness.
However, it is this admiration, all be it from a distance that has also alienated us from the people of the region and vice versa.
Recall the rise of militancy in Swat. All we heard and read was references to Swat as the "Switzerland of Pakistan". That was pretty much what most people knew about the region. Who knew about the people, the various linguistic and ethnic identities, local politics or even wider geography of the region? The "Switzerland of Pakistan" was what people knew the region for, even though they had never been to Switzerland themselves.
The same is true for GB. The region has been devastated by natural disasters in the past. Yet the important thing that people in the rest of the country highlight is how "strategic links" with China and Siachen is threatened.
When an avalanche led to the creation of the Attabad/Gojal Lake, our media was full of blogs and articles about the "pristine waters", "beautiful waters" and "Allah's gift" to Pakistan. The many thousands of people who lost their land, homes and belongings were never factored in. Still living in various refugee camps along the KKH, they are all but forgotten, but the obligatory picture of the "pretty lake" is shared on social media, as if the beauty of the lake somehow compensates for the suffering of the local people.
The power and influence of the timber mafia has led to extreme deforestation. Does anyone care? No. Why? Most probably because the still images that we associate the region with show pretty sceneries and the damage and long term effects of mass deforestation has not registered. Even if we are in the "know", we casually assume that the local people must be grateful for the economic activity (not).
Now had we not faced the 2010 floods I would probably understand this view. But given the devastation those floods caused, and the obvious contribution deforestation played towards intensifying the flooding, one would think they would be a greater outcry over the rape of "Allah's blessing to Pakistan".Yet silence.
Today, the mass murder of a climbing expedition is likely to be the death knell of the tourism industry in the region. Yes, many domestic tourists do visit the region. However, the large climbing expeditions, which are spread over a long period of time, require a large number of supplies, porters, guides, etc, generate badly needed income in the region. The government says that they will "monitor foreigners in Pakistan" for their security. Well, I may be wrong, but climbing expeditions spending tens of thousands of dollars are unlikely to line up now to come to Pakistan, only to feel as if they are under constant observation. Given our failure to protect our fellow citizens it's debatable how effective such measures would be. Such targeted violence also adds to other problems. For example, expeditions may find it difficult or expensive, to find adequate insurance to cover their trips. Private companies such as The North Face and Red Bull which have been sponsoring climbing and gliding expeditions may back out, not wanting to risk involvement.
The demise of the tourism industry cannot be overestimated. In 2010, I was travelling through the region with a group of foreign friends. Along the KKH and other highways, we were stopped so that foreign nationals could fill out a register. Entering Deosai Plains the register had about 42 names by end July, 2010. Looking back to 2004, they were 5000 or so names uptil the same point of that year. Talking to the policeman and national park officials, they all shared how dramatically the number of tourists had fallen away.
This year had seen a large increase in the number of climbing expeditions. Such groups are more aware of the risks, but are also aware of local conditions. I doubt anyone would have thought that there was any risk of being attacked at a base camp at 4200 meters.
The cost of this tragedy will be borne by people who have very little to loose to begin with. Isolated villages along the way to various peaks, who make some money during the tourist season offering their services as porters, cooks, selling fruits and vegetables, etc.
The rest of the country views the KKH and GB as something to boast about, when it comes to natural beauty, or a strategic asset in terms of Siachen of China. The people, nature, wildlife are
Now, this is not to say that people in FATA, Balochistan or indeed any other part of the country are any less "othered away" from the nation's imagination. I believe these arguments apply to them as well. However, I guess in this case, personal experiences shape my views of a region and people, who I would hope are more than just pictures in an imagined, perfect postcard.
Perhaps we need to push people to scratch beneath the surface and appreciate that people living in "the Alps of Pakistan", "majestic heavens", "breathtaking beauty", "mighty mountains", etc, are mostly stricken by poverty and malnutrition.
Who will spare a thought for them?
I have no doubt in the coming days security analysts will churn out opinion pieces on how foreign forces are trying to scuttle the "strategic economic corridor" and the "potential of Gwadar", yet the victims will just be a number, the people of the region will remain unmentioned and references to "breathtaking beauty" shall be frequent.
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