FOR centuries, the Kalash people have maintained a culture, way of life, language and belief system that is uniquely theirs. Situated in KP’s mountains, three remote valleys — Rumbur, Bumboret and Birir — make up the Kalash region. Rumbur is the oldest and largest while Bumboret, the most populated and developed, is a tourist’s delight. Lodged between two majestic peaks, it runs beside an avenue. Unlike other parts of the country, Kalash women live free of most social constraints. Interestingly, historians believe the intriguing tribe with Indo-Aryan features ruled Chitral for two centuries — from the 11th to 13th century AD — before Shah Nadir Raees overthrew them. Meanwhile, the Kalash claim to be descendants of Alexander’s soldiers, although there is little evidence to suggest he passed through the area.

Human greed has been unsparing. Kalash localities are being renamed, outsiders are usurping land for commercial purposes, such as restaurants and hotels, and the environmental harm caused by tourists is severe. Matters exacerbate when those bent on converting the residents penetrate their settlements. However, the valleys are now among Pakistan’s four newly added heritage sites on the Unesco World Heritage Tentative List. As it is the first time a community in Pakistan, with its customs and culture, finds itself on the list, the government must ensure the milestone is not squandered. Apart from facilitating community progress and conservation of heritage, the authorities can push for space in the UN body’s permanent category. Uninterrupted, and in the same centuries-old setting, Kalash customs and heritage comprise over 140 recorded ceremonial edifices, ritual platforms, graveyards marked by exclusive wood carvings, traditional villages and festivals. At present, the Kalash are battling antisocial forces to the point that they closed their museum to prevent pillage. Beyond security, it is time to recognise ancient cultures as imprints of our soul.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2026