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I discovered Pakistan's model society in a small town called Gulmit

Located in the mountainous north, Gulmit embodies the values that would make us a better Pakistan
Updated 27 Sep, 2019

This article was originally published on May 8, 2017

“Let’s go for a run before they start the car,” I suggested.

My friend looked at me with disbelief as I flashed past her. But she couldn't help but join me. We cut through the cold air while the sun shone brightly above us. We only ran for a minute or two on the Gulmit Bridge under which runs the Gojal River, surrounded by the towering Passu cones. It was liberating to be able to run on the Roof of the World.

Behind us, our guide was getting us registered at a checkpoint near the bridge entrance. I don't remember the last time I actually went on a run in Pakistan, but it was definitely not on a bridge in broad daylight amidst passing traffic. That seemed almost impossible in Pakistan... or was it?

Little did I know that just beyond this bridge lay a village that had the answers to my yearning for freedom and equality.

Also read: The woman who travelled to every country in the world says Pakistan is in her top 10

Our road trip

Our journey to Hunza started in Lahore on March 18. We broke our trip at Chilas for a night's stay and went to the Hunza View Hotel in Karimabad the next day. On March 20, we set out for Gojal Valley where the Attabad Lake is situated.

The Attabad lake
The Attabad lake

A little background on this beautiful lake: Attabad Lake was formed as a result of the landslide that destroyed many houses and businesses in 2010. The landslide blocked the flow of Hunza River; the product of this natural catastrophe is an astounding lake, which ripples in dramatic hues of sea blues, greens and turquoise passing through soaring mountains in contrasting tinges of dark browns, blacks and greys. One might say that nature has tried to compensate for what it took away.

We passed through the Attabad Tunnel, which is a 7km tunnel divided into parts crafted along the 24km patch of Karakoram Highway. It is also part of the CPEC and is marked with slogans of Pak- China friendship.

At the end of the tunnel, on our left, we could see the remaining ruins of Attabad village, many houses still visible under the water.

Attabad Lake is popular for its boating facility; in March the water had not completely melted, so the boaters didn't want to take any risks.

The Batura Glacier
The Batura Glacier

They asked us to get a signed NOC from the Tehsil office of Gulmit, the administrative headquarters of the Gojal Tehsil, which is populated by some 4000 Ismailis.

Read on: Zoe Viccaji takes us on an adventure to Pakistan's northern areas in Ho Jao Aazad

Stumbling upon Gulmit

The only reason we entered the small town of Gulmit was to get permission. We were a group of 10 people. As we stopped at the Shishkat checkpoint and ran on the Gulmit Bridge little did I know I was in for a treat.

My tour group
My tour group

The area's breathtaking raw beauty, rich heritage and its citizens' eagerness to keep their culture alive coupled with their kind hospitality destroy all the stereotypes Pakistan has set for itself.

As the boys went to obtain the NOC from the office, the women and I explored the area. I was amazed to see the complete lack of rubbish on the roads.

The local men roamed the streets, wearing their local caps, leather jackets and rough loafers usually over shalwar kameez or track pants and shirts. They all smiled and nodded as we passed.

The women wore traditional Hunzai caps with dupattas, velvet shalwar kameez in bright colours paired with closed shoes, smiling and waving at us. No one seemed to find it odd that us women were travelling alone.

Posing with my little friends from Gulmit
Posing with my little friends from Gulmit

On our right was the bank of the Hunza River, burying the ruins of submerged houses backed with mountains as high as the sky. On our left was the town. Houses made up of stone were scattered through the valley and climbed up the mountains.

We saw the board of the Akhuwat Foundation, which is Pakistan's largest microfinance organisation. We entered a communal area where we saw two women in conversation. We asked them for guidance and one of them accompanied us.

She was a resident of the Attabad Village and had moved here after the landslide, “We had three houses, two hotels. All of them have been taken away by the water,” she told me. A common complaint was that the government hasn’t adequately compensated the people for their loss.

At the Akhuwat office, we were told that they provide loans starting from Rs5000 to people for their crops and household among other things. The officer recommended that we check out the women-run carpet centre nearby.

Another woman showed us the way. Our travel mates had found us by now and had the approved NOC. We thought we could go on with our journey after a quick stop at the carpet centre.

What surprised me here was how the lady, who was in her late twenties, greeted the men in my tour. She shook hands with them.

We walked past a school playground, where girls and boys were playing together. The girls were playing football at the far end of the ground and right beside me cricket along with the boys. Some boys were on the swings pushed by girls, some on the see-saw, screaming, laughing and shouting in their local tongue Wakhi. It was a sight for sore eyes.

As we went I had to ask her how the town is so spotless, “We have a committee. Every month each resident is given a set of duties, from taking care of the litter to night watches, we all do it together here,” she said.

We walked past a school playground, where girls and boys were playing together. The girls were playing football at the far end of the ground and right beside me cricket along with the boys. Some boys were on the swings pushed by girls, some on the see-saw, screaming, laughing and shouting in Wakhi. It was a sight for sore eyes.

We continued our walk for five minutes and reached the carpet centre.

Read on: This Pakistani woman defies stereotypes by riding her bike 3200km into the heart of Pakistan

Watching women at work at the Gulmit Carpet Center

All the houses in Gulmit village are built in the same traditional Pamiri-style; the architecture can also be seen in the Baltit and Altit forts. The house consists of one very large room, which has an entrance through a lobby. The room comprises of four raised sitting/sleeping areas in its corners and a stove in the middle. A sunroof above the stove makes for a cosy, well lit and warm room.

The carpet centre is quartered in a 400-year-old house. We entered the workshop, a large space which looked rather small from the outside. Four large hand-weaving carpet machines stood on all sides, while wool and carpets of all shapes, sizes and colours covered the floor. The ancient handcrafted wooden beams added antique touches to the workshop.

The Gulmit Carpet Centre
The Gulmit Carpet Centre

Gulmit Carpet Centre (GCC) is run by Aziza Safar, Doulat Qaim and Pari Sultana. It was established in 1998, by Karakorum Area Development Organization (KADO). Initially, 28 artisans were taught the art of carpet-weaving by four master trainers, three of whom were from Didar Carpet Centre in Hunza and the other from Afghanistan. After the session, the trainers left the city, but one stayed back to supervise their work for three more years.

“I have been in this profession for 18 years now,” said Aziza, who is in her late 30s. “We cherish the skill which has been imparted to us by our masters without any cost and we are trying to keep the legacy alive.”

Outside the Gulmit Carpet Centre
Outside the Gulmit Carpet Centre

Aziza heads a team of 18 female workers who make handmade carpets, “They taught us everything from how to graft patterns, put them into shape, how to make a business model, sustain it and most importantly promote it,” Aziza proudly tells us.

“In our society, the women are treated as equals, so my decision of not getting married has not affected my family," she reveals. "Even she isn’t married,” Aziza says, while pointing at Doulat who laughs the matter off saying that she hasn’t got time to get married amidst all her duties.

In the past decade education has picked up in the area, but less educated people like Aziza believe this is a great way of earning a living, “Only the people of the second generation are interested in this work or unmarried women or the ones who want to learn a skill and earn extra money,” she tells us,

Aziza is one of five siblings, she chooses to remain unmarried, run the business and support her family. “I have two special brothers. I didn’t want to burden my parents by leaving them. The business does well, we pay the rent, buy our raw material and display at many exhibitions. I am happy with what I have,” she reveals of her life.

She is adamant to grow her business for the betterment of her community.

Carpet making is often a group activity to save time
Carpet making is often a group activity to save time

“In our society, the women are treated as equals, so my decision of not getting married has not affected my family," she reveals. "Even she isn’t married,” she says, while pointing at Doulat who laughs the matter off saying that she hasn’t got time to get married amidst all her duties.

The life of women, as well as men of the area, is almost the same, says Aziza, “We wake up in the morning, clean the house, knead the dough, herding our poultry and check the fields where usually the men work after which we come to the centre and make carpets.” The crop of the area is apricot, apples and cherry.

She says the men and women are equal in her village, but some men are guilty of becoming lazy, “Sometimes men take women for granted. But that happens very rarely, we can also find the same examples in women,” she laughs.

These carpets take months to make
These carpets take months to make

They make carpets as large as six feet or more. A small carpet, 10 inches square, takes about a month to make and 12 of them are made per year. As the length increases, the time taken to make them does too; about three to four women work on large carpets of which three are made in a year.

Because of the extreme weather conditions of the area, they dye the threads in summers, stock them for winters and try taking expeditions in winters to sell their artworks across the country.

Their carpet prices start at Rs8000, “People think it is expensive, but the effort we put into it is priceless,” states Aziza.

The Gulmit women also stitch their own traditional caps while at home, each one takes about a month to complete. The designs, consisting of cultural symbols and vibrant colours, tell the stories of the mountains.

Discovering endangered instruments at Bulbulik

Bulbulik refers to the messages which were conveyed through melodies on the highlands of Pamir. They were of happiness and sadness, love and sorrow, winters and summers. The people of the Pamir Mountains lived a life that chimed.

The Bulbulik Music School or Heritage Center was being run in collaboration with the USAID. I was shocked to hear that the aid had reached a area even we, urban Pakistanis, weren’t fully aware of.

We were introduced to Mr. Abdul Waheed, a warm man who was the project manager.

“The Wakhi/ Pamirian languages are endangered and so is the musical culture of the region,” he shared.

The first generation incorporated music in their lives, the second moved out due to urbanisation but the third needs to preserve it or else all will be lost, Waheed emphasised. According to him, only one master musician is alive in Gojal, Ustad Rehmat Ullah who plays Ghazxek (a traditional form of violin).

Abdul Waheed with our tour group
Abdul Waheed with our tour group

The building was new but was constructed in a fashion similar to other houses. A large poster read Bulbulik on one wall, the room was carpeted in red, heaters were kept at each corner and hanging from the walls were classical, traditional musical instruments that encircled the room. I saw the rabab, ghazxek , flute, tambourine, flutes, tumbak and other instruments.

In the past year, they had schooled 82 students, out of which 13 students have learnt the endangered ghazxek.

Students at Bulbulik learn traditional instruments like the endangered ghazxek
Students at Bulbulik learn traditional instruments like the endangered ghazxek

“We gave 2 months of extensive music classes for each instrument,” shares Abdul Waheed, “Melody is in our blood. After we introduced the classes, people realised the worth and need for preservation of their folk music.”

Another fun fact was that the male-female ratio was mostly 1:1 but for some instruments, there were more girls than boys, “Our upbringing does not allow for discrimination between men and women. We are Wakhi Pamiri people of the Ismaili sect, our roots travel from Tajikistan to China, our women are as smart as our men. These equality issues consist in the lowlands, not on the roof of the world,” he said with pride.

There are an equal number of male and female students at Bulbulik — inequality doesn't exist on the roof of the world, they say
There are an equal number of male and female students at Bulbulik — inequality doesn't exist on the roof of the world, they say

They are also planning to open a programme for students from all over Pakistan who want to learn the traditional instruments. Another historic step is going to be the digitally archiving of their music and Wakhi language. “We are recording songs in Islamabad which we will put online for people to enjoy. We will publish a Wakhi song book with old and new songs and digitise it too,” he shared.

After all the chit-chat, the gorgeous looking students struck the cords of the rubab, Ghazxek and thumped the tumbak playing soothing melodies for us. So engrossed were we in the music, we forgot all about the boat ride.

For dinner we came back to Gulmit to try their local cuisine at a restaurant ran by two charming and hard working ladies.

Returning for a bite at Bozlanj

Bozlanj, the house of Wakhi/Pamirian cuisine, is an eatery made entirely out of tin. The kitchen is only big enough to fit four people at a time and the dining area sufficient for 10 people. It is run by Malika and Shista, who opened the restaurant in 2016 as demand for local cuisine by tourists increased. Needless to say, the women were entrepreneurs as well as homemakers.

Malika and Shista opened Bozlanj to address tourists' growing demand for local cuisine
Malika and Shista opened Bozlanj to address tourists' growing demand for local cuisine

As we sat, they served us layered parathas topped with desi ghee. The parathas had arrived fresh from the stove.

We were served Ghilmindi flatbread
We were served Ghilmindi flatbread

Next arrived a plate of Ghilmindi, a type of flat bread that is rolled with sesame seeds and pepper, cooked on a flat pan. It is then layered with apricot oil and homemade cheese. It was dripping with oil, its aroma heavy in the air. It was getting colder as night came, we already had had a paratha each and hungrily dug into the Ghilmindi too.

Semnex, a dessert that wasn't too sweet but enticed with its unfamiliar flavours
Semnex, a dessert that wasn't too sweet but enticed with its unfamiliar flavours

For dessert, we were served Semnex. This was made of wheat, which is soaked in water for 3 months, then dried and cooked. It is reddish brown in colour, cooked in apricot oil and has a naturally sweet taste, no sugar is added in the process. It wasn’t very sweet but the combination of unfamiliar flavours fascinated us.

The modest kitchen of Bozlanj can only accommodate four people at a time
The modest kitchen of Bozlanj can only accommodate four people at a time

This was our final stop in Gulmit, and as we moved to our next destination, I was struck by the realisation that I had been a guest in a truly model society. The ideal of equality that we were fighting for in Pakistan's cities is simply part of Gulmit's cultural fabric. Their customs and inherent respect for each other resonated with my beliefs, which were of a modern day girl, who just wants to be able to walk the streets, run and play. None of my simple desires seem to conflict with the values of their rich culture.

I had seen the Pakistan I had dreamt of. Envisioning a better Pakistan, we moved to Karimabad, which too is a locality full of wonder but I'll leave its stories for some other day.

Comments

K May 08, 2017 01:07pm
NOC? Hello? What's this? I've been visiting the region for twenty-five years and never needed an NOC (and neither did non-Pakistanis, btw).
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Muhammad Murad Iqbal May 08, 2017 01:09pm
I feel like going to roof of the world
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Vijay Reddy Rajput May 08, 2017 01:10pm
Lovely article and a wonderful tour undertaken by the author and her friends. An awesome place indeed. I am sure Pakistan is doing everything to not just preserve the culture and way of life in towns like Gulmit, but also to further enhance the economic opportunities, educational facilities, healthcare facilities and the quality of life of people in such places.
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Waqar azeem May 08, 2017 01:24pm
Seeing always the violent, gruesome and disappointing news on this immature media of Pakistan. I am really glad and relieved to see the true and real aspects of our society. Good job, well done and keep it up..
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Hassan (Karachi) May 08, 2017 01:29pm
As we went I had to ask her how the town is so spotless, “We have a committee. Every month each resident is given a set of duties, from taking care of the litter to night watches, we all do it together here,” she said. Wisdom of a thousand words, condensed into a sentence. We in large cities have lost our sense of community.
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Faisal May 08, 2017 01:31pm
Awesome pictures and narration.
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Malamal May 08, 2017 01:39pm
Wow lovely views !
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zain May 08, 2017 02:20pm
Thanks to the Ismaili community, our Northern Areas are educated, liberal, tourist friendly and safe for women and foreigners.
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indian May 08, 2017 02:20pm
@K btw stands for Bitto tikkiwala?
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ejaz alam barcha May 08, 2017 02:28pm
This part of the world has a brilliant history back to many centuries. The world has just discovered its socio-cultural richness. We live for many centuries together peacefully and respectfully for ourselves and others. I am belongs to the same area I think Education is the only game changer for this beautiful part of the world.
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IMTIAZ ALI KHAN May 08, 2017 02:49pm
Hats off to the Aga Khan Development Network who are doing a fantastic job. Introduced education in Pakistan and especially in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.
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bash May 08, 2017 03:11pm
@K NOC for boat ride. As it is mandatory for everyone now.
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Annam lodhi May 08, 2017 03:17pm
@K Hi K. Replying to your query. The lake was frozen and they didn't want to take any risks, hence th NOC. Usually they don't require that which is true.
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NM May 08, 2017 03:28pm
None of this could have been achieved without the development interventions of the AKDN and the leadership of the Aga Khan. We are poor in many ways, but our values enrich us. I hope we are able to carry these values forward and build on them, to overcome whatever small hurdles we may stll be facing.
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ahmedj May 08, 2017 03:28pm
Gulmit or Hunza. The quality of education is much superior to rest of the country. People are polite and have a very high standards of mannerism and etiquettes. If you meet anyone who had schooling there. Ask them to write a one line script in Urdu and you will see it as a masterpiece of calligraphy art. This is the reason they have beauty of elegant art in their hands which makes them even better with music, carpet weaving and other cottage industry of handcrafts.
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basit ahmad khan May 08, 2017 04:02pm
How can we find you on twitter?
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a May 08, 2017 04:09pm
Your camera is awesome !
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K May 08, 2017 04:18pm
Thanks to those that replied! Got it!
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aleem May 08, 2017 04:49pm
@Annam lodhi Thank You Annam for a lovely write up. Pakistan is so beautiful and a gift from god. I wish we Pakistanis chersih and look after this beautiful country.
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Asad May 08, 2017 05:05pm
Bubulik means "voice of nightangle", you had missed watching gulmith premier league, its a great spectacle to watch. Not less than Barcelona football ball enthusiasm, the whole village old, young girls boys , elderly men, and women watch it with passion
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Imran Hunzai May 08, 2017 06:06pm
NOC is old story now, luckily.
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zak May 08, 2017 06:50pm
Beautiful Pakistan.
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Rahim Khan May 08, 2017 08:55pm
Thanks Anum Lodhi for highlighting my home town in the Media. Indeed it is a wonderful piece of writing touched my heart. However you have missed our educational institutions. Al-Amyn Model School is one of the best example of a true Community Based School in Pakistan or elsewhere. We have different Organizations for Social development where you will find how men and women come together for decision making and social development. You have missed the stories of community participation in building infrastructure, road , irrigation and drinking water system, Women and village organization. etc.. Let me tell you we are afraid of the flooding of domestic tourist in our area. Might be we will face the environmental challenges of Islamabad and Maree.
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MAsood May 08, 2017 08:57pm
Well written, thanks for exploring the place, there are fascinating things you haven't seen yet in the region. I saw you confused Ghilmindi(spicy and sour flavored, layers of chapatis) with Samn (the red sweet thing).
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Ameet Kumar May 09, 2017 01:52am
Thank you, such an awesome article which represents true face of Pakistan. northern area is full with beautiful people!
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Annam Lodhi May 09, 2017 02:06am
@MAsood oh! because of the language confusion and time I am sure I missed the two. But thanks for clarifying it.
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Annam Lodhi May 09, 2017 02:12am
@Rahim Khan Thankyou Rahim, I am sure there are much more intriguing stories from that place, but due to word constraints, this is what we put up. But I hope to visit and explore more of the area someday.
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Princess_of_DHUMP May 09, 2017 02:20am
Annum: I want to order one of their carpets. How can I?
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Farouq omaro May 09, 2017 05:56am
A blessed region
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Ddar Karim May 09, 2017 02:03pm
sister we are proud of you for your kind words and introduction about gulmit stay blessed and have good time with your entire family..
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riz May 09, 2017 03:50pm
great writeup,, keep it up,, thanks Dawn for bringing such excellent posts,,
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Shahabuddin May 10, 2017 05:18pm
The beauty of Hunza .. I love my beautiful home land.. ,, this is a good research on Hunza and Gojal,,, Appreciated
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Guest May 13, 2017 05:11pm
I have to say that no one has done more to highlights the beauty of Pakistan's northern areas more than Dawn. Great work guys and girls. Keep it up.
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