PESHAWAR: Wazir Zada, the first member provincial assembly elect from Kalash community from the northwestern Pakistani district of Chitral, told Arab News that creating social harmony is at the top of his commitments.
Zada is the member-elect to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) reserved seat for minorities.
“The most important (issue) is social harmony; I would like to form committees comprising elders of Muslims and minorities in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where minorities reside. We should show the world that minorities have rights and respect in Pakistan,” Zada told Arab News.
Kalash community lives in three areas called Kalash valley, which comprises Barir, Rambur and Bamboret areas.
Kalash valley is about 340 kilometers to the north of Peshawar and the valley’s population is a little over 4,000.
Kalash activists have been raising concerns over the speed with which the number is shrinking.
“The census and other forms don’t include our religion because we are considered part of Hinduism and Buddhism. But in fact our religion is separate,” said Zada, adding that the Kalash is the oldest indigenous community in the country.
Zada gained his masters in political science from the University of Peshawar and has wanted to work for the education and livelihood of minorities.
“Before Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government in KP, the province had a job quota of 0.5 percent for minorities, but the PTI government raised this quota to 3 percent. I will try to increase this more, because the minorities’ population is also increasing, like others.”
Sayed Gul Kalashi, a field officer who is in charge of Chitral Museum, said Zada’s election to the KP Assembly is an achievement for both her community and also for Pakistan.
“Not only us, but the whole country should be proud of giving an native minority this honor,” she said.
A research officer at the Directorate of Archaeology told Arab News there are two theories about the origin of the Kalash community.
“One says they are descendants of soldiers of Alexander. But another says they are a local Vedic (Hindus) population who lived in the area even before the arrival of Alexander,” he said, adding that the KP government has asked UNESCO to include the Kalash community in the World Heritage List.
Son of Alexander the Great’s soldiers wins provincial assembly seat for Kalash community
Son of Alexander the Great’s soldiers wins provincial assembly seat for Kalash community
- Wazir Zada, the first member in KP’s provincial assembly from the Kalash community, has a masters degree in political science
- The Kalash community are the descendants of soldiers of Alexander the Great, many researchers suggest
Pakistan says Sri Lanka to ease visa restrictions after Colombo talks
- Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi meets Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo
- Naqvi informs Sri Lankan president about visa-related difficulties being faced by Pakistani nationals
KARACHI: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has assured Islamabad that the island nation will ease visa restrictions for Pakistani citizens, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), met Dissanayake during a visit to the country on Tuesday. The Pakistani minister arrived in Sri Lanka last week to watch the T20 World Cup cricket clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday.
Naqvi informed the Sri Lankan president about visa-related difficulties being faced by Pakistani nationals during the meeting, the interior ministry said in a statement.
“The Sri Lankan president took immediate notice and directed that Pakistan be removed from all such lists without delay,” it said.
Both sides held detailed discussions on counterterrorism, counternarcotics and joint training between their security forces, the statement added.
Naqvi thanked Dissanayake for the arrangements the government had taken to accommodate Pakistan’s matches in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan president reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen ties with Pakistan further.
Dissanayake also conveyed a message of thanks for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for allowing the national men’s cricket team to play its cricket match against India.
Pakistan’s government earlier this month announced it would not allow the cricket team to play against India to express solidarity with Bangladesh. The International Cricket Council (ICC) last month replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after the former said it would not play its matches in India owing to security concerns. The move drew sharp protests from the cricket boards of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Pakistan withdrew its decision and cleared the national team to play against India following negotiations with the ICC. Dissanayake had also spoken to Sharif and requested Pakistan to call off its boycott against India.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka share long-standing ties with cooperation across various sectors. In December last year, Pakistan provided assistance to Sri Lanka in the form of relief aid and rescue workers following disastrous floods across the tropical island nation.
