“The Kalash are under threat from Pakistani Taliban”, Iowy Institute, September 27, 2023:
“On the morning of 6 September 2023, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) launched a massive attack in the Chitral district of Pakistan. More than 500 TTP militants stormed the checkpoints of Pakistani security forces and attempted to capture territory. In the ensuing six-day battle, dozens of militants were killed, along with several security personnel. This particular attack was repelled. However, it marks the beginning of tough times for the people of Chitral, most notably the Kalash community.
Chitral is an enormous district, located 400 kilometres northwest of the capital Islamabad. It borders Afghanistan and the Wakhan Corridor, which is China’s narrow land bridge with Afghanistan.
In June this year, I travelled to Chitral from Islamabad with my family. After the eight-hour trip by road, we took a further three-hour journey on a single-lane mud track to reach Kalash Valley and the village of Bumburet, one of the three villages in which the Kalash people live. Bumburet is ten kilometres from the Afghanistan border. The peace and tranquility of the people and the area instantly struck me……”
Read the full article at Iowyinstitute.org
