DAWN
30 July 2003 Wednesday 29 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1424
CHITRAL: Commission to settle Shandur row: Nazim
By Our Correspondent
CHITRAL, July 29: A federal commission will resolve the demarcation issue between Chitral and Gilgit keeping in view historical facts and findings of the commission members.
At an arbitration meeting between the representatives of Chitral and Gilgit at the ministry of Kashmir affairs and Northern Areas in Islamabad the other day, it was resolved that an amicable and acceptable solution would be found regarding Gilgit's claim over the Shandur Pass area.
The additional secretary of the ministry, Gulzar Khan, representatives of the states and frontier regions and the Survey of Pakistan acted as arbiters.
The Nazim of union council Laspur, Sulaiman Shah Asif, one of the representatives of Chitral, told Dawn on Tuesday that the commission, having consulted the map maintained by the Survey of Pakistan, had pointed out that Shandur Pass was an integral part of Chitral. People of adjoining Laspur, the Nazim said, were still using the Pass as their pasture in summer.
He said the meeting came to the conclusion that before independence, the Langar pasture, some 3km from Shandur on the Gilgit side, had been a bone of contention but there was no question in whose jurisdiction did Shandur fall.
The commission would meet again next month to decide the matter once and for all, he said.
Chitral was represented at the meeting by NWFP home secretary, the district Nazim, the district coordination officer and the local union council Nazim. Gilgit was represented by the chief secretary, a representative of the Northern Light Infantry and some members of the NA Council.
NOTE: Though both the Ghezer and Chitral are one unit, one culture, one history, one language and one part till 1895. The upper part of Chitral was an integral part of Yasen, Brooshaal province (Ghezer district), but British occypying regime had snatched it from yasen, in the revenge of the murder of Jeorge Haward in Dahrkoot of Yasen. According to Col. Kelly's survey report of 1895, Shandoor falls towards Ghezer, because of it's waterfall and other rule and regulations.This is a tyrony that the so-called Commission has no impartial values, because, Pathans of bouth the disputed Balawaristan and Chitral are the rulers and represent both the parties (i.e.Ghezer and Chitral). Chitral is represented by a Pathan (home Secretary of NWFP), while Gilgit is also represented by a Pathan (imposed Chief Secretary from NWFP). In this circumstances, Pathans will try to create gape between Gilgit and Chitral on one hand and also try to grab this land for NWFP on the other. BNF appeals both the parties to be patient and solve their problems peacefully by not involving the exotics (Pathans or Punjabis).
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