3rd eye july 2009 online photography magazine in pakistan

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    aPA quarterly photographic magazine of

    Pakistani Photographers Association (PPA)

    Issue 1, July 2009

    A Biodiversity Hotspotin the coldest regionof Pakistan

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    Cover StoryKhunjerab

    A Bio-diversity hotspot in thecoldest region of Pakistan

    National Park

    Cover Photo: White-winged Redstart(Phoenicurus erythrogastrus)

    Editorial Team

    Coordination

    Published Quarterly by

    Issue No./Month

    Muzffar H. Bukhari, Edtitorand Layout Designer

    Sultana Tabassum FarooqiSub Editor

    Dr. Zaheer Sattar, Rahimyar Khan

    Kamran Safdar, TaxilaAmeer Hamza, KarachiSuhail Akhtar, Islamabad

    Imran Miskeen, IslamabadRaja Amar, Jhelum

    Communication DepartmentPakistani PhotographersAssociation

    Head Office, Islamabadwww.flickr.com/groups/opp

    Ist Issue, July 2009

    Photo Credit: Ghulam Rasool Moughal/

    WWF-Pakistan

    In this IssueKhunjerabNational Park

    VisitingBhong Mosque

    A Bio-diversity hotspot in thecoldest region of Pakistan

    Muzaffar H. Bukhari

    Dr. Zaheer Sattar

    A time and cultural capsuleof its own.

    A Glasswith CLASSUser Review of Canon 17-40 mmF:4.0 L Lens

    Awais Yaqub

    The WorldsBiggest FortRanikot Fort - A fort that hasquite enigmatic history

    Ameer Hamza

    A Palace

    On the RockShigar Fort - An archeologicaltreasure of 17th century built byRaja Hasan Khan of Amacha Dynasty

    Muhammad Ismail Khan

    Mud Volcanosof PakistanA WWF-Pakistan team finds out anew range of Mud Volcanos inHingol National Park, Balochistan

    Waseem A. Khan

    12

    17

    23

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    In this Issue

    Date

    The Dancing Girlsof Lahore

    A fruit like no other -a fruit from paradise

    Text: Ameer Hamza, Pictures: Raja Islam

    E. Kazmi AKA Color of My Dreams

    A Book Review

    Phantom of Opera

    Ishtiaq Ahmad

    Central LibraryBahawalpurA library in Southern Punjab that wasestablished through a public resolution.

    Eng. Juniad Rashid

    PPAs First Exhibitionat KarachiAbout the first-ever exhibition of PPA heldat T2F Gallery in Karachi

    Ameer Hamza

    Shandur PoloFestivalAbout a thrilling game playedat the Roof of the World

    Raja Amir

    A review of a french novel-based Drama,full of romance, horror, mystery, andtragedy

    26

    29

    1

    34

    8

    From

    EditorsDesk

    Dear Reader!

    By the grace of Almighty Allah, after a lot of troubles and ihiccups, finally the first issue of 'THIRD EYE' - an onlinequarterly magazine of Pakistani Photographers' Associatio(PPA) is up on web. It was, indeed, a mammoth task entrusthe magazine team who completed it, though, with a bit of d

    yet, in a very professional way.

    PPA is a group of Pakistani Photographers having represenof professional, amateurs, and hobbyist photographers fromover Pakistan as well as photographers of Pakistani origincurrently settled abroad. It is a not-for-profit, non-politicareligiously un-biased entity, mainly focusing on promotionphotography and arts in Pakistan. PPA is currently under pof registration under the relevant laws of Pakistan. The ideforming a registered photographic group was conceived bydynamic, committed, and enthusiastic photographers who gintroduced to each others through flickr.com - world's mostfamous photo sharing website.

    For us, it's really like a dream come true. It took us fairly lotime to come up with the magazine. In fact, we wanted to lain the beginning of 2009 but due to a number of factors; bointernal, and external, it could not happen unfortunately. Inquest, we faced a number of challenges - the tough ones becollection of material, editing/proof reading, and finally deof magazine's layout. It wouldn't have been possible withohelp of all PPA team; particularly those who not only took pwriting articles and providing photographs for the magazinalso actively participated in discussions related to launchinTHIRD EYE and provided their valuable suggestions. Oursincere thanks are due to everyone who contributed in thisprocess especially, Dr. Zaheer Sattar, and Kamran Safdar, fconstantly pushing up the things when they used to get stucduring this period. Thanks are also due to Mr. Amin KhanaPPA member from Karachi for proposing this wonderful anthematic name for the magazine.

    The first issue of the THIRD EYE has a mixed type of contehas articles and pictures from Northern Areas, Sindh, PunjBalochistan. We have also included technical stuff i.e. userreview of Canon's most-liked landscape lens, EF 17-40 L. in addition to an article about the famous stage act, PhantoOpera, and review of a book.

    We have sincerely tried to produce some valuable/informatand eye-catching pictures in the magazine. Whether we

    succeeded, or not, is greatly depends upon your satisfactionreader. If we met your expectations, please encourage us byou feel any shortcomings, or you have some practical suggto further improve the magazine - in terms of layout, or conplease, provide your feedback at www.flickr/groups/opp.

    Dear reader! This is your magazine, and we direly need yoownership and advice on how we are going, and how we caimprove.

    This is all from the editor's desk. Please go through themagazine, and don't forget to provide your valuablecomments/suggestions. Cheers.

    Muzaffar H. BukhariEditor

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    July 2009 13rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    ituated amidst the three majesticmountain ranges of the world theS

    Karakorams, the Himalayas, and the HindoKush Khunjerab National Park (KNP) is thefifth largest National Park of Pakistan, withan area of 226,913 hectares (ha). KNPoffersvarying climatic conditions, and a very richcultural and biological heritage. The KNP isadjacent to China's Taxkorgan NaturalReserve, and home to a wide range of flora

    and fauna, including more than 100 birds, 32mammals, 3 species of reptiles, oneamphibian species, and 152 species of flora. Some of the globally threatened and endemicmammals like Snow Leopard, HimalayanIbex, Marco Polo sheep, Blue sheep, BrownBear, and TibetanWild Ass, make the KNP abiodiversity hotspot in the coldest region ofPakistan.

    The name Khunjerab is a combination oftwo words of Wakhi language; Khun(meaning blood) and Jerab (meaning river). The wordKhunjerab, thus, means the river of blood. According to the local community, in the old times(when KKH did not exist), many people used to die every year while crossing Khunejrab River duringtraveling on the old silk route. Hence this name of thearea emerged.

    KNP is one of the highest altitude parks in the world.More than half of the park's area is as high as 13,000 ftabove sea level. Khunjerab Pass, is the highest point onthe Karakoram Highway (KKH) with an elevation ofabout16,200 ftabove sea level, and isthe highest paved

    KhunjerabKhunjerab

    ParkNational

    By Muzffar H. Bukhari

    border in the world. It is known as the Roof of the world or Gateway to ChPrior to completion of this section of KKH in 1982, two other passes,MintakaPassand Kilik Pass (both unpaved)wereused by the travelers.

    Geology of theArea

    The general relief of the area lies between 2,439 meters at Passu to 4,meters near Khunjerab Pass.The important geological sections ofKNP(i) Khunjerab igneous complex, (ii) Passu slates, (iii) Khunjerab ignecomplex (mainlygranites), ( iv) Passu s la tes, (v) Misghar sl a(quartzite, slates),(vi) Gojal dolomites, and (vii) Gircha formation

    These formations are repeated one after the other in KNP. Most of the upreaches ofKNP arecoveredwith glaciers.

    The author is a development professional, an eco-tourist, and an amateur photographer, with a particular interests in

    wildlife, and nature photography. He can be reached [email protected]

    Khunjerab Pass in June

    Photo: Muzaffar H. B

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    July 200923rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Longitude:74 55' E to 75 57' E

    Latitude :36 01' N to 37 02' N

    Karakoram Range Mountains

    on Pak-China border in upper , HunzGojal, NorthernAreas Pakistan

    1975

    227,143

    May - October

    FACT SHEET

    Geographical location:

    Physical location:

    Year established:

    Area (ha)

    Best time to visit:

    In the north (near Khunjerab Pass) KNP containsgranites which are part of the Khunjerab igneous complex. Green xenoliths, probably of somesedimentary origin are also observed in KNP. Thisigneous complex overlies the Misghar slates. Someglacialmoraines arealso found at various places alongthe KKH. Below these moraines the limestone bed isexposed with a thickness of 10meters which becomes40 meters at the junction of Khunjerab and Kuznullahs. A small quartzite bed having variablethickness runs parallel to the limestone bed. Sulfidezones are also located alongKKH and are mineralized(pyrite, chalcopyrite, copper, lead-zinc, bromide andgold). Most of the KNP area is comprised of Misgarslates, a group of which is located at a road sectionabout3 kmsouth ofDhee. (Khan 1996).

    Ecology of theArea

    The area of KNP mostly consists of huge mountainswith snow covered peaks, ravines, valleys andnullahs. Physical erosion, land slides, and glaciers arecommon phenomenon observed in different valleys ofKNP. Most of the valleys are characterized by stonybeds and surrounded by hill slopes of gravels,

    hailstones and soil particles.

    There are four typesof vegetation zonesin KNP, (i) Dry zone alpine scrub, (ii)Malpine pastures, (iii)Dry alpine plateau pastures, and (iv) Sub alpine scrub and b

    forests.

    Photo:Muzaffar

    Dhee Valley in

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    July 2009 33rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Climate oftheArea

    Since the monsoon rains normally do not extend northofIndus valley, the region receives its main precipitathrough westerly winds. As such, the area has a climatethe continental-Mediterranean type. Maximum rainfall (40 mm) is recorded for the months April and May witsecond peak (10-26 mm) in August. June, OctoberNovember are drymonthswith generally less than 10 mmrainfall. The general range of the temperature is determiby altitude. The area shows temperate conditions withsummers, cold winters and great seasonal and, in hig

    altitudes, highdaily differences.

    HistoricalOverview

    The writings and carvings on the sacred rocks of Hureveal that this valley has been serving as a link betwChina, Gandhara and eastern Afghanistan. Thinscriptions also show that this area was ruled by a loprince named Dera Sri Chandra Vikramaditya duringGupta period. Hunza and Nagar both were includedGilgit and ruled by Raja Malik of the Tara Khan dyna

    Being a mountain community, people livingShimshal Pamirs rely on the mountecosystems, its products and services for thlivelihood. Local people graze their herds insthe park on agreed terms and conditions ofagreement. Most of the time overuse of thresources sparks serious ecological problemsshape of deforestation, habitat destruction, serosion, people-wildlife conflict, and retaliatkilling of the toppredators.

    PhotoByMuzffarH.

    Bukhari

    1422 to 1449). His son LiliGashpur and his niece, Shamul Gas, weremarried.Theyhadsons named Maglote and Girkis who later became the rulers of Nagar and Hunza

    ctively. Girkis was murdered and his daughter, Noor Begam, followed by her sonho, became the rulers of Hunza one after the other. Mir Mohammad Jamal Khan, a ndent of Ayesho, was the last ruler after which the state was abolished in 1974 and theannexed to Gilgit district as a sub division (Khan 1996). The area was declared aonalPark in 1975by the lateZulfiqarAliBhutto, the thenPrimeMinister ofPakistan.

    le and their Livelihood

    KNP provides a unique blend of Brusho-Wakhi andTajik cultures. Approximately 5,000e live in the adjacent villages of the park. Wakhi and Brushiski languages are spoken inent areas of the Park. Urdu is spoken and understood by the literate people. English,h, Spanish, and Japanese are also spoken by eco-tourist guides and porters of the area.

    world's best porters are foundin Shimshal one ofthemost beautiful valleys ofKNP.

    MuzaffarH. Bukhari

    H near Khunjeerab Pass

    Sacred Rocks,

    Hunza

    ather Observation Equipment installed at Khunjerab Top

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    July 200943rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Definition ofa NationalPark

    A national park is an area set aside by the Government for protection and preservation of outstanding scenery, flora and fauna in naturalThenationalparks are accessible to public for recreation, education and research, subject to some restrictions that theGovernmentmay imTo facilitate public, construction of access roads, resthouses, hostels and other buildingswithin a national park is permitted. Forests in natparksmay also be managed and forest products obtained provided that these activitiesdo not damage natural ecosystemof a national park.

    The prohibited actions in a national park include; (i) hunting, shooting, trapping, killing or capturing of any wild animals in a national pawithin one and a half mile radius of its boundary, (ii) firing any fireadoing any other act whichmay disturb any animal or bird or doing anwhich interferes with the breeding places, (iii) felling, tapping, burniin any way damaging or destroying, taking, collecting or removingplant or tree there from, (iv) clearing or breaking up any landcultivation, mining or for any other purpose, and (v) polluting waterthrough a park.

    Establishment ofKNP

    The area (now underKNP)was knownfor several largemammals sucMarco Polo sheep, Blue sheep, Himalayan Ibex, Tibetan wild ass, Bbear, Snow leopard, and Indian wolf etc. However, in the backdropdrastic decline in the population ofMarcoPolo sheep, which is foundin this part of Pakistan, an American wildlife Biologist, Dr. GeorgSchaller recommended to declare this area, a national park. Onrecommendations, Khunjerab was declared a national park byGovernment on 29 April 1975, under the directives of the then PMinister,Mr. ZulfiqarAliBhutto.

    PhotoCredit: Ghulam RasoolMoughal/WWKoksil Nullah, near Khunjerab Pass

    njerab Pass in Autumn

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    KNP consists of 3 main valleys; (i) Khunejrab ValleyGhujerabValley, and (iii) ShimshalValley.

    The Khunjerab valley starts from Sost village and ends aKhunjerab pass on China border. The Khunjerab River ffrom the watershed of the Pak China border. Many stributaries join it in the way until it joins Hunza RiverKhudabad. Different nullahs flowing in Khunjerab valleyDhee, Qarchenai, Toghroqin, Ferzindur, Barkhun, PerArbobkuk, Gozkil, Padekishk, Koksil and Kooz Nullah.Ghujerabvalley which forms the main tributary of the KhunjRiver also provides a link between the valleys of Khunjerab

    Shimshal.

    Access toKNP

    KNP is located in the extreme northeastern corner of Pakistais a remote place and getting there is not always easy. KNconnected to the rest of the country through KKH also know

    ththe 8 wonder of the world. Running along the banks of InGilgit, Hunza, and Khunjerab Rivers, KKH cuts through

    collision zone between the Asian and Indian continents, where China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India come within 250km ofother. Owing to the extremely sensitive state of the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan, the KKH is of a great strategic and milimportance. TheKKHis surrounded by beautiful mountainsand snow covered peaks like Nanga Parbat, andRakaposhi. Anothervery intereand unique feature of the KKH is that near Jaglot, at the confluence of Indus and Gilgit rivers, lies the junction point of world's three greamajesticmountain ranges namely Karakoram, Himalayas, and HinduKush.Here a monument is also built describing this feature for the int

    and informationof the tourists.

    July 2009 53rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Photo byMuzaffarH. Bukhari

    Photo byMuzaffarH. Bukhari

    ridge near Gulmit on KKH

    Passu Glacier with Passu peak in Background as seen from KKH

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    It takes about 15-18hours to reachGilgit from Islamabad by road, and another 6 hours fromGilgit to Sost. Sost is the border checkpost towhere transportation and guides are available to travel further up to the park which is about 35 km from Sost. The park area starts frPamirchi bridge onKhunjerab River about 3 km before Dhee where a beautiful KNP guest house is available for stay. The tourists trave

    onKKHshould include a couple ofextra days toaccountfor any unexpected road closuresdue toland-sliding orother unforeseen events.Ocan also reachGilgit via PIA-operated flights (one hourduration). These flights are operated almost on dailybasis from Islamabad to Gilgit, subject to clearweather.

    Boundariesof thePark

    According to the original notification of KNP, the total2

    estimated area under KNP was 2270 km . However, since the boundaries were drawn arbitrarily, manyimportant areas which, though contiguous to thehabitats of different wildlife species of the park, wereleft out. Accordingly, a substantial part in easternShimshalwas not included in the park.While assessing

    KNP in 1988, Dr. Per Wegge recommended that parkboundaries should further be extended towards the westof Shimshal village, including potential areas fordeveloping wildlife hunting programs for sport andfood. He further recommended the extension of parkboundaries eastwards to the Pak - China border. In thelight of these recommendations, the park's boundarieswereextended tocover anareaof 6,150square km.

    July 200963rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Photo byMuzaffarH.Pakistani Side of Khunjerb Pass

    Entering KNP through Pamir Che

    Photo Credit: Ghulam Rasool Moughal/WW

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    Biodiversityof KNP

    KNP is one of the most important alpine biodiversity regions within Pakistan. Reptilian, avian and mammalian fauna of the park sho

    blend of species from Paelearctic,Oriental and Ethiopian regions. KNP is home to a number of endangered and threatened animal speclike the Snow leopard (Uncia uncia), Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii), and Himalayan Ibex (Capra ibex sibirica). Out ofmammalian species recorded in Pakistan, 25 species are found in KNP. Species belonging to Palearctic region have reached Pakiseither from Iran via southern Balochistan or from CentralAsia via Karakuram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Palearctic specieKNP arriving via northern route include; Brown bear (Ursus arctos), Ermine (Mustela erminea), Field mouse (Apodemus rusiges), Glong earedbat (Plecotus austriacus) and Himalyanibex(Capra ibexsibirica).

    Other important wildlifespecies i n mammalian f a u n a a r e ; B l u e sheep/Bharal (Pseudoisnayaur), Brown bear (Ursus arctos), Golden

    marmot (Marmota caudatea u r e a ) , C a p Hare/Baluchistan Hare (Lepus capensis), IndianWolf (Ca nis l up us ) ,K a r a k o r a m P i k a (Ochotona macrotis), andM ig ra to ry H am s t e r (Cricetulusmigratorius).

    July 2009 73rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Golden Marmot in KNP

    byMuzaffarH. Bukhari

    Shimshal Village - Part of KNP

    Photo Credit: Ghulam Rasool Moughal/WW

    o byMuzaffarH. Bukhari

    Snow Leopards cub at KNP

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    July 200983rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    The important avian fauna of KNP includes, Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Himalayan griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis), Eurasblack vulture, Marsh harrier (Cirus aeruginosus), Eurasian sparrow hawk (Accipiter nisus), Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Les

    kestrel (Falco naumanni), Saker falcon (Falco cherrug), Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Himalayan Snow cock (Tetragahimalayensis).

    Photo Credit: Ghulam Rasool Moughal/WWF-Pak

    Himalayan Ibex in KNP

    Common Ston

    Photo:MuzaffaPhoto:MuzaffarH. Bukhari

    Himalayan Griffon Vulture

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    July 2009 103rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    In the high mountains rainfall is low and winters are verycold so the florais not rich. Vegetation in the cold desertsand at higher elevations mainly consists of several

    species of grasses and subshrubs. About 152 plantspecies have been enlisted from KNP. Asteraceae is themost prominent family among the KNP plants. Most ofthe flora of KNP (36%) is endemic to Himalayas-Karakuram-Hindu Kush mountains region and gives aspecial character to its flora. Some important floralspecies of KNP include; Neel-turk (Pleurospermumcandollei), Yeep-woosh (Anapholis triplinervis), andCaroop (Cichorium intybus scop).,

    Threats toWildlife inKNP

    Poisoningof Carnivores

    A major threat to the carnivores of KNP is poisoning bythe local communities. According to a survey in 1989,snow leopard population was estimated as 30 animals,whereas in another study conducted in 2006, (khan2006), a population of only 3 to 5 Snow leopards was estimated in the park. Similar is the case with wolves. According to the park management plan, the locallivestock was tobe removed from the potential habitats Photo byMuzaffarH. Bukhari

    Photo Credit: Ghulam RasoolMoughal/WW

    Photo:Muzaffar

    ite-winged Redstart (male) trying to attract his female mate)

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    within the KNP boundaries.However, this could not be done apparently because ofthe non-payment of compensation to the affected community. The locals still keeptheir livestock in the Park area and grazing has not been stopped. The presence oflivestock in the park attracts carnivore predator towards more easy prey like goats,sheep and yaks. When a snow leopard orwolf, kills any grazing animal, the ownerof the herd, poisons the carcass to kill the predator. This leads to the death of notonly the attacking predator but also ofmany other carnivores who are dependent onthe left-over hunt. This situation has resulted in a drastic reduction of wolves andsnow leopards in thearea.

    TrophyHunting

    Another threat to some of the mammalian fauna ofKNP particularly the blue sheep(Pseudois nayaur), is the trophy hunting. Many hunting organizations facilitatehunters for blue sheep trophy hunting. With the increase in trophy hunting, thedanger of reduction in the population of blue sheep is quite obvious. Moreover,illegal hunting of blue sheep either by locals themselves or by arranging un-authorized hunting expeditions for outside hunters is yet another sign of danger forthepopulation of bluesheep.

    OverGrazing

    The Marco Polo Sheep are facing severe threat of lack of food due to presence ofgrazers in the core

    habitat area in Q ar ch en ai a nd W o l o g h D o r valleys.

    The pastures andgrass lands of Qarchenai valleyb e l o ng t o t hepeople of Ghulkinvillage who grazet he ir l iv es to ck f r o m M a y t o September every

    year, for 150 days. The pastures of Wologh Dor valley inQarchenai are the lambing grounds of Marco Polo sheep. Theplant specieswhich are palatable and favorite species forMarcoPolo sheep are also shared by thousands of livestock (sheep andgoats) thus posing a serious threat to the only habitat andlambing ground of the Marco Polo in Pakistan. The extent ofthreat can be measured with the fact that the number of MarcoPolo sheep atthe time of establishment of the park was 500, thatreduced to about 50 in 1992. Khan (2003) reported 35 animalsin 2002 while 19 animals in 2003 and only 25 animals were observed in 2006Khan 2006).

    FoodCompetitors

    There is no serious threat towild ungulates in their core habitatsfrom predators since there are some buffer species like Goldenmarmots and Cape hareswho share the predatory pressure. Theactual and major threat to wild ungulates is the presence of a huge number of domestic animals including sheep, goat andyaks which consume all available vegetation of the site beforemoving to another place, thusleavingnothing behind.

    Facilities forVisitors atKNP

    Theparkarea starts from PamirchiBridge onKhunjRiver along KKH about 3 km before Dhee theresting place along after SOST and before KhunjPass but the first vantage point to observe the graherds of Himalayan Ibex on western hill slopes.park area starts from Pamirchi Bridge on Khunj

    July 200993rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Livestock Grazing in Dhee Valley, KNP

    PhotoCredit: Ghulam RasoolMoughal/WWF

    Photo Credit: Ghulam Rasool Moughal/WWF-Pakisan

    Cape Hare in KNP

    PhotobyMuzaffarH.

    Bukhari

    Himalayan Ibex hunte i

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    Potential Valleys for Eco-Tourism

    Karchanai

    Dhee Peak, Glaciers, Camping,Wildlife watching, and Trekking

    Camping, Wildlife watching,and Trekking

    Climbing, Camping,Wildlife watching, and Trekking

    Climbing, Camping,Wildlife watching, and Trekking

    Ibex, Snow leopard

    Morco Polo sheet,Snow leopard, and

    Brown bear

    Ibex, Snow leopard, andBrown bear

    Blue sheep,Tibetan Wild Ass,

    and Ibex

    Koksil

    Shimshal

    Valley Potential activities Wildlife

    River alongKKH about 3 km before Dhee thatis the last resting place along after Sost andbefore Khunjerab Pass but the first vantagepoint to observe the grazing herds of

    Himalayan see Ibexon westernhillslopes.

    The guest houses of Forest and WildlifeDepartment of NorthernAreas (NAs), FrontierWorks Organization (FWO) and KhunjerabSecurity Forces (KSF) are available at Dhee.Electricity is not available however, thefacility of electric generator and a public calloffice (PCO) is available here. Water comesdirectly from glaciers and is very cold - toocold to even wash hands. Visitors of KNP andnature lovers can camp here and stay at any ofthese guest houses and enjoy the available facilities but with a prior reservation through

    NAs Forest andWildlife Department.

    July 2009 113rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    FACILITIES AT DHEE REST HOUSE

    Guest House (VIP and standard roomKitchenCamping facilitiesPorters and GuidesA public call office.

    References

    Khan,A.A. 1996.Management planof KhunjerabNationalPark.WWFPakistan, FerozepurRoad, Lahore, 54600.Khan,M. I.andKhan,N.U.H. 2003.Ambassador ofpeace ontheroof oftheWorld -Astudy report onMarco Polo sheep. GCIC,WWFPakistan.Khan,W.A.2006.WildlifeSurvey ofKhunjerabNationalPark, NorthernAreas,Pakistan, InternalReport,WWF-Pakistan48 pp.

    PhotoCredit: Ghulam RasoolMoughal/WWF

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    3rd Eye Pakistani Photographers AssociationJuly 2009 12

    Visiting bhong Mosque at Nagri Ghazen - it's a time and cultural capitsown.

    Landlords ( sometimes referred to as feudal lords) and there mini-kinare a norm in the Saraiki belt (Southern Punjab) and the interiorregion in Pakistan. These 'kingdoms' typically consist of a 'capital vand some thousands of acres of cultivated privately owned land ! Mthe time the 'capital village' itself is also privately owned by the '(lord) family!

    Countless Sardars and countless of their capital villages, How maeven a residentof the this region name ???

    Until late 70s, Bhong, a village located about 30 km of Tehsil SadiDistt. R.Y.Khan, used to be just another such a place. Today Bhoncrown village of this sindh-punjab junction region, knownmagnificent architectural beauty the Bhong Mosque Complex found

    mostly completed bythe Late Sardar RaisGhaziMuhammad,who byso rose beyond an ordinary feudal lord ! The mosque construction sta1932 and was declared almost complete 50 years later in 1982 thoconstruction andextensionin somerespects hasnever ceased to date.

    Travelling on a side road heading east of the main KLPhighway fromAbad (KLP here is referred to asKarachi Lahore Peshawer), the semsurroundings quickly change into what is culturally Sindgeographically still Punjab.

    BhongMosque

    Bhong

    Visiting

    A medical doctor by profession and aotographer by passion, Dr. Zaheer Sattar is of the founder members of PPA. Most of hisork has evolved into what can be labeled asAbstract interpretation of landscape andnature. Coming from film age, he has aecial interest in the history and evolution ofphotographic equipment. His flickr ID is

    fterglowww. Dr. Zaheer can be reached [email protected].

    xt and Photos by Dr. Zaheer Sattar

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    July 2009133rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Reaching Bhong and entering ' Nagri Ghazen' is always anexperience of its own kind. Nagri Ghazen is the village's centralarea privately owned by Ghazi family, it practically is the realBhong ! A sharp turn on the road entering the village and one iswelcomed by a traditionally erected concrete village gate . TheNagri Ghazen gate. The place is a time and cultural capsule of oneofits kind.

    Its woven into Saraiki scent and Sindhi colors, represented by a cheerful crowded and vibrant rural bazaar which is suddenly

    enhanced by a Persian / Central Asian architectural presence thegrand enterance to the BhongMosque Complex. Roaming aroundthis colorful bazaar before entering the mosque is not a bad idea atall, or you can postpone it to the time of your departure after youyouhavevisited themosque.

    If you are an architectural geek, you might get disappointed by theapparent architectural disharmony present in different parts of thecomplex as you roam in and around. This is what has beendescribed as Peoples' Architecture . The mosque has beenawarded various national and international awards including the6th Agha Khan Award in 1982. In the words of the Agha KhanAward jury:

    In giving award to this building complex (the Agha Khan Award)the jury wished to make an acknowledgment of the diversity thatenriches (our) society. 'Popular' buildingsmight be a little differentfrom buildings derived from indigenous craftsmanship. Thepopulace might love them, and might have immense significancefor the ordinary people inspite of the fact that architects might hatethem.

    Bohng (the mosque complex) represents a monumentalachievement in these terms. It enshrines and epitomizes the popular'taste' in Pakistan with all its vigour, pride, tension and sentiment.Its use and mis-use of the signs and symbols express appropriategrowing pains in transition, and yet may prove significant for thefuture.

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    July 2009 143rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Late Rais Ghazi Mohammad , client, designer, patron and landlord,conceived, directed and funded the entire building construction. Thistremendous effort spanned over a period of 50 years during whichheengaged hundreds ofspecialized craftsmen and masons from all overthe neighboring states and cities which was then the Indiansubcontinent,mastermasons fromRajhistan, craftsmen fromMultanfor the glazed tile, mosaic and woodwork; and painters andcalligraphers from Karachi. He patronized and encouraged theseworkers by setting up a workshop for the Bhong mosque tasks andfurther training of the skilled workers . A large numbers of skilledworkers employedand trained herewere lateron used bygovernment

    ofPakistan in the restoration of various heritagesin thecountry.

    The BhongMosque stands ona majesticcitadellikea pearl. Itis a partof a complex that consists of a prayer hall, library, a madrasa, andresidential dormitories for students and visitors. The complex isutilized by the local population. The madrasa is functional, althoughwith less importance than inthe pastwhen studentscame tothe schoolfromasfar asTurkey,Afghanistan, and Iran.

    The prayer hall is the place where the skills of the two generations ofcraftsmen bloom like pearls. Simultaneously this is the most difficultplace to photograph in terms of its geometrical dimensions. The hallis more of an elongated rectangle than anything more spacious. Youneed to have a tripod and good wide angle cover of lenses to do any

    justice to this place. Visitors flock more on weekends and holidays soif you are serious about capturing the hall in its full splendor, you areadvised to come here in off hours and off days.The administration ofthemosque is generallyvery friendlyto the seriousvisitors.

    The maintenance and minor extension work remains always inprocess here. It is widely said and believed that Ghazi family has beendivinelyinstructed to keep this mosque in an ever-constructionphase.

    Itwill take about 2-3 hoursto fullyexplorethe village and the mosquecomplex. In general travel tips to the Bhong mosque, the mostimportant is to reach there early and leave the village early. Thoughit 's a short distance of about 30 km from Sadiq Abad, this shortdistanceis not considered verysafe fornon-routine travellers.

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    July 2009 153rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Users Review of Canons 17-40 L

    A Glass

    CLASS

    withanons 17-40mmF 4.0 L is the cheapest offering inCanontop ofthe line product rangeof L-series lenses. Itis designetobe a high quality, lightweightlens for both film and DSLcameras.Like big brothers it is compatible withEF and EFcamera mounts. On EF mount it is ultra-wide angle len

    with no crop factor, and on EFS mount it is a standard lenwith crop factor of1.6 and 28mm-67mm zoom range.

    Built/feelsand operations

    L designation on this lens comes with rock solconstruction, and has smooth yet sturdy zoom and focurings. Being a lightweight and compact lens, it balancnicely on all of Canons DSLR camera bodies. The lensconstructed of a hybrid metal and plastic compound withpolycarbonate barrel. The flat black paint finish along withe trademark L series red ring looks very professional. Itweatherproof and sealed against both moisture and dusUse of a good quality UV filter is highly recommended f

    complete weather sealing. The focusing speed is lightninfast thanks to incorporation of Canons USM technologIt can focus in extremely dim light conditions with greaccuracy.

    CLASS C

    Text and photo By: Awais

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    July 2009163rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    PictureQuality

    The lens produces pictures full of contrast, sharpness and colors, and using this lens is trulya luxury experience. I use this lens on crop body that means camera uses only the center ofthe lens. There is slight amount of barrel distortion on wide end easily fixable in software.This lens is sharp at all apertures and photographs are perfectly usable. But the sweet spot isat f8 to f11.Mounted on 10MPcamera this lens makes excellent enlargements. I havemade24x20inchwideprints hanging proudly inmy living room.

    Pricing and recommendation

    This lens is available for aboutUSD700, hence the cheapest lens of Canon's L series. Itsfuture compatibility with full frame camera is assured. It is an excellent option for thepeople using crop bodies, who want to use it for a walk around purpose. For them this lens is28mm-67mm. For some people, the zoom range is little short from ideal but it all dependson individual's requirements, preference and shooting style.

    Other option in this class of lens is 16-35 F2.8 L II from Canon that goes for USD1,500. Ifyou have budgetary constraints, I will recommend checking Tamrons 17-50 F 2.8 but it isonlycompatiblewith EFSmount andof course lacks advantages ofCanons L-series lenses.

    If you shoot wide angle, full frame photographs with Canon cameras stopped down at f/8and beyond, the EF17-40mm f/4L isan outstandinglens. Contrastand sharpness are attheirbest at the wide end (20 and 24mm) of the zoom range and approach or exceed those ofquality prime lenses. Keeper ratio has improved dramatically due to accurate and razorsharp focus. Sharpness drops off in far corners at 35mm and 40mm and micro-contrastdrops off slightly at 35mm. Performance drop at the long end of the zoom range is unlikelyto be objectionable in most landscape photos. However, some Pros are concerned about arather high degree of barrel distortion noticeable in scenic and landscape photography. Formany types of photography, this distortion isnt a big issue; however, architectural andlandscape photographers should keep themselves aware of this phenomenon. Overall, thisis a highperformance super-wide angle zoom for full-frameCanon cameras.

    This lens has served me flawlessly and provedan excellent companion for my professassignments aswell as forwalkaround clicks.

    The author is a student of MBA afounder member of PPA who start

    photography as a serious hobby2004 and has evolved as aprofessional photographer providfreelance photography services t

    several organizations. Nature, ancmonuments , mosques, and peoplehis favourite subject. The author c

    be reached [email protected]

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    3rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    By Ameer Hamza

    FORTWorlds Biggest

    The

    Fort

    t claims to be the largest fort in the world and so far, noother fort (or country) has disputed that claim. Its wallsstretch some 24 km across rough and stunning terrain.Some walls are not man-made; they are natural rockformations. Looking at them, one can easily imagine thatthese rocksweremade to complement the fort.Welcometo Ranikot, which is so immense that within its walls ithas twosmallerforts, theMiri and theShehrgarhforts.

    Ranikot is located about 30 km from the small town ofSann.Contrary tothe general belief, this fort isnot part ofthe Kirthar Mountains (Balochistan). The mountains ofRanikot are called Tora Mountains, forming one of theboundaries of the fort, as mentioned earlier.

    To get there one has to travel in one's own vehicle. Theroads are in good condition, and remain so till you reachthe Miri fort inside Ranikot. The remaining distancemust becoveredby foot.

    Another way to travel to this place is by bus or train. Inboth cases, you will be dropped off on Indus Highway at

    Sann. From there, you can book a wagon or a chinchi (motorcycle rickshaw) for the whole day or two. I waschargedRs500 for a two-wayrideby a chinchi.

    Ranikot has four main entrances: Mohan gate (westside), Amri gate (north-west side), Shehpar gate (southside) and Sann gate (Sann side). But there are no gates,onlywideopen spaces, and onboth sidesare huge blocksofstones thatmark them.

    July 2009 17

    I

    PhotoC

    redit:SultanaTabassum

    Photoby:AmeerHamza

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    July 2009183rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    The history of the fort is quite enigmatic. Local legend passed downthrough generations, claims that the Talpurs built this fort.This can betraced back to the court historians at Talpur palaces who, perhaps toglorify their rulers, wrote that the Talpur kings built it. However, noknown written architectural records exist to confirm this. But thenthere areno precise records formanyMughul buildings, either.

    On the other hand, foreign scholars believe that this fort was built much earlier by the warring tribes who settled here, before the

    Muslims arrived and that the two forts inside (Shehrgarh and Miri)were builtmuch later, possibly by the Talpurs themselves. However, Ifound the stonework of Ranikot and Miri quite similar. This can beaccountedfor by the indigenous stones that are found there.

    Andwhat about the strangename, 'Ranikot'? People offer twodifferentanswers. One local claims that 'rani' is a place where water from its source flows underground and reaches some other place. I found thisplausible, as there is a stream at Ranikot (only during the rainy season),whose water is used by villagers to grow crops. Another possibleexplanation for the name is that Ranikot, according to many locals,belonged to theTalpurs.When the British took over the fort from them,through betrayal, the locals started calling the fort 'Rankot' (a deviationof Ranikot), which in Sindhi refers to a woman whose husband has

    been killed.

    Photo by: Amee

    Photo by: Ameer Hamza

    o by: Ameer Hamza

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    3rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    ou can camp here (in fact, there is no use going there if you can't camp), the forteing quite safe. The best plan is to take your own camping gear and aonsiderable amount of food.You can take waterwith you, and also try the local

    ream waterwhich is very pure.The only precaution that you should take whileamping is against the foxes in the plains. I saw two at night (but had no time tohotograph them!), and theywere quitewonderful creatures.

    nother option isto goto the smallfort, Miri.There isa ramshackle 'governmentouse' built by the British who stayed here when they ruled India. The caretaker,ho is an employee of the Govt. of Pakistan, can provide the keys. And if youhink you might be alone there, you are as mistaken as I was when I first wenthere. There is a village of around 500 people who live within the boundaries ofhe fort, andwhosemajor occupation is herding and farming.They are extremelyoor but they don't beg.

    Surprisingly, this largest fort on earth is not on the lisUNESCO'sWorldHeritage Sites.Why this injustice?

    Credit: Sultana Tabassum Photo Credit: Sultana

    The author is a frequently publishedfreelance photo journalist, and a travelphotographer from Karachi. He is alsoRegional head of PPA, Sindh Reagon. Hisphotographic work is mainly focused onpeople & culture, archeology, and traveldocumentaries. The author can be reached

    at [email protected].

    Photo by: Ameer Hamza

    July 2009 19

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    Rock45-minute flight from Islamabad will land you indifferentworld Skardu an amazing blend of sandunes, lakes, orchards,glaciers, meadows, peoplestreams, rivers and green fields surrounded bgrayish snow-clad mountains.Another 45minuteof road travel from the airport will transport yointo a royal setting of the central Karakoramkingdom - the Shigar Fort Residence.Perched onhuge boulder, the Shigar Fort is locally known aFong Khar literally meaning the palace on throck. Built by Raja Hassan Khan, the 20th ruler othe Amacha dynasty of the Shigar Valley in th17th century, the fort which was in ruins till fewyears back, has been restored to its originagrandeur and has been converted into a heritagaccommodation for international and domestitourists.

    Shigar is the gateway to the world's most

    amazing mountaineering hub. All trekkingand mountaineering expedition to K2 andother high mountains of the centralKarakoram passes through the valley. Animportant bastion of the Balti culture andtradition the valley and its people are knownfor their idyllic life, skilled artisans and stronghigh altitude porters. Its ruling dynasties haveleft behind a rich cultural tradition in the formof poetry, music, the game of polo andr em ar ka bl y b ea ut if ul f or ts a nd mosques/khanqahs. In 1634, Raja HassanKhan ascended the throne, soon to beoverthrown by invaders. The raja, however,managed to reassert his rule with the help ofthe forces of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan,and onhis way back fromKashmir hebroughtalong number of artisans, carpenters, stonecarvers to build the Fong Khar. The fort issituated on an elevated hamlet along the rightbank of a stream which bisects the mainvillage and falls in the Shigar River animportant tributary of the Indus.

    Shigar Fort in AutumnPhoto : Yasir Malik

    July 2009203rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    on the Rock

    A Palace

    Adu as seen from Satpara-Skardu Roado : Muzaffar H. Bukhari

    The author is a development professional and an analyst, from Skardu, havingbackground in tourism, media and policy development. He is a former electedrepresentative (2005-08) from the Asia Pacific region on the 'Board of Directors oftheMountain Forum.

    www.flickr.com/photos/21018130@N07/20498

    uhammad Ismail Khan

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    from Shigar Forto by: Dan Polta

    Photo : Zain Mankani

    The older fort wasright on top of a hill o ve r lo ok i ng t h eFong Khar. For along period the twoforts co-existed tillt h e o l d e r o ne c ru mb le d d ow naround 100 yearsago. Later on, manynew annexes wereb u i l t i n t h eimmediate vicinityf o r r e s i d e nt i a l purposes from timeto time.The FongKhar too was in ashambles till the AgaK ha n C u l t u r a l Support Programmew i t h g e n e ro u s f inancial support from the Norwegian

    government cameforward to strike adeal with the present raja of Shigar for restoration of the palace. Thefort has been acquired on lease and a new residence for the raja wasconstructed next to the fort complex as an alternate. In the design andconstruction of the new building an effort has been made to promotelocal architecture andbuildingmaterial.

    The Shigar Fort Residence is a multi-building complex. Besides thegrand Fong Khar, the Garden House and Sningma (old) House and asmall mosque at the entrance have also been restored to originalcondition. The Sningma Nang (old house) was built in 1890 and wasconstructed over already existing stables.The Garden Housewas the

    latest building where the raja family resided till the premises wasleased out. The complex itself is spread over a large piece of landsurrounded by orchards, garden, terraced field where water is channeled from the steams next to the fort.The platform made ofstone masonry is quite impressive. The eastern side of the platform

    consists of huge granite bouldersmost of them four to five metreshigh, with the nucleus of thebuilding rests on the severalmetres-high rock (fong) next tothe entrance of the main fort. It iswonderful to see such large andheavy boulders being used inconstruction at a time when no hi-

    tech forks and bulldozers existed.The reception room is dotted withimpressive wood carving ontimber columns and beams. Thevarying designs of the threestructures speak of the series ofed it io n a nd de le t io n the occupants have made over theyears.

    July 2009 213rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Given the poor condition in which the complex was found beforrestoration, the conservators seem to have used local knowledgebuilding material to fill construction gaps. As the fort has bconverted into a residential museum, new functions and facilisuch as high quality toilet fittings, the water distribution systsewerage and electrical wiring have been integrated in a way thatminimum impact on the original ambience of the historic buildThe conservation and adaptive re-use concept introduced withinnovative approach has blended well with local specificitieslivelihood context. Twohalls inthe FongKhar and the SningmaKhave been turned into restaurants providing quality food.A musecontaining personal belonging and utensil of former rajas also adthe centralhall.

    Interior of the exhibition space at Shigar Fort

    : Zain Mankaniony at Shigar Fort

    Shigar Fort KitchenPhoto: Arsalan Mirza

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    www.flickr.com/photos/8268405@N05/236965900

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    July 2009223rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    From tourism standpoint, there is no regionclose to equaling Baltistan for its natural and

    cultural heritage. From the world's secondhighest peak K2 to the world's largest glacieroutside the poles known as the Siachanglacier, Baltistan presents unrivaled naturalbeauty and culture. Its ancient ruralsettlements, grand forts and palaces, intricatew oo de n c ur vi ng , B ud dh is t r el ic s, shimmering valleys, civilized and peace-loving communities, idyllic lakes and highaltitude wildlife laden plateaus such asDeosai make it a solid contender to qualify asa world heritage site.The Shigar FortResidence is a welcome addition to the longlist of places while visiting Skardu. Those

    die-hard hikers who come to camp at Deosai,spend vacation roaming in Khaplu or fishinginKachura and Sadpara Lakeswill now haveanother must-see des tination in thei ritinerary. The fort provides an excellent retreat for diplomats, businessexecutives andnaturists seeking a royal retreat in anexceptionalnatural environment.

    Shigar FortPhoto Courtesy: Gerard C

    rance of Shigar Fortoto Courtesy: Hassan Hassrat www.flickr.com/photos/58581702@N00/143901

    www.flickr.com/photos/dodocoucou/139104

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    3rd Eye Pakistani Photographers AssociationJuly 2009 23

    Nature has blessed Pakistan with a numbergeographical wonders - mud volcanoes being onthem. Mud Volcanoes also known as SedimentVolcanoes orGas-OilVolcanoes are not very famand not as devastating in action as are thcounterpart Magmatic Volcanoes. They have bexisting on the face of this planet since vbeginning but their actual discoveries and studdate backonlya fewcenturies.

    They are one of the earth's most interesting natu

    phenomena. They may erupt abruptly apowerfully vomiting tons of muddy brackish wawhich is chemically a mixture of water, mud, ga(CH ,C H ,and SO ), a few elements, sometrace4 2 6 2hydrocarbons, oil and some heat energy. The mvolcanoes therefore have a direct link to gas andfields and are excellent indicators to the presencthese natural resources.

    VOLCANOES

    Mud

    of Pakistan

    Volcanoes

    Text and Photos by: Waseem A. Khan

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    July 2009243rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    More than 700 mud volcanoes have been repoaround the world so far and according to OwMughal (2007), the managing editor of ATHINGS PAKISTAN - a website highlighPakistan's beauty, there are 18 mud volcanoePakistanandall located inBalochistan.

    The earliest account of the presence of mvolcanoes in Balochistan dates back to 1840.first surviving account of their existence is byMFrederick John Goldsmith who wrote a diary of

    travels from Karachi to Gawadar in 1862 whertells about the bubbling springs near Ras Koocand the mud volcanoes near Ormara. There areknown groups ofmudvolcanoes inBalochistan vChandargup and JablulGhurab.According toOwMughal, seven out of 18 mud volcanoes are locnear Sapat post in Hingol National Park (HNP)the remaining 11 are located between KutchGawadar.

    NewRecords ofMudVolcanoes in Pakistan

    While conducting wildlife surveys in Babbro Kand Laksar Plains inthe northernpartof HNP du

    February 2007 we (a team of five membcomprising of two wildlife watchers fBalochistan Forest and Wildlife Departmenttwo porters) led by the author, heard rather strastories from local residents about occasional blfollowed by fire and smoke in a mud mounknown as Kundigo Kurt. The last such blastheardby locals aboutsixmonths ago.Thismounis not very far from Babbro Kaur and Laksar PlaVisualizing that these could be active mvolcanoes, wedecided to investigate the stories.

    Access to theArea

    Visiting the Kundigo Kurt Mountain is not an etask as it falls in a mountain range where onlyprofessional hikers can dare to venture. Theretwo access routes totheKundigoKurtMountainboth are very difficult; One from Uthal (TehsiLasbelaDistrict) - Jhau onRCD Highway leadinKhuzdar / Quetta, branching off at Dhalli Hvillage following a dirt track to Kukree Bhenhamlet) along theAra Kaur (Ara River) inHNPother route is from Traanch valley which is emore difficult especially its part known as Doz(Hell). Kukree Bhent is accessible riding a fwheel drive jeep only as there are many smmounds, stony beds, streams and plains. It taabout two and a half hours to reach Kukree Bhfrom Jhau at RCD Highway (a distance of onlykm). From Kukree Bhent onwards starts the caride for about eight hours alongAraKaur up to PBhent and then about four hours walk on fooreach the base of the Kundigo Kurt Mountain ineast of Ara Kaur. It takes about two hours frombase of the Kundigo Kurt Mountain to reach thefollowing a very difficult and riskytrack.

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    OurFindings

    After a tiresome journey of about 12 hours both on camel back and on foot, wereached the base of the mountain in the evening therefore spent that night there.Climb to the mountain top started next morning (0700 hours). After following thedifficult and risky track and passing through various gullies and depressions, wereached the top by 1100 hours and found seven magnificent and active mudvolcanoes within about 150 m length and 70 m width at the top of Kundigo KurtMountain at 1509 feet (460 m) above sea level and the deposited extrusions all around. We took photographs, GPS coordinates and measurements of craters ofdifferent volcanoes.We observed gas bubbles rising from the mud in the crater, anetwork of gullies, ridges and beautifully carved deep grooves made of mudextruded from the volcanoes by rain and wind erosion. We returned to the basecamp at 1600 hours, very tired but jubilant and exited at this new find which is therd3 mud volcano field in Pakistan afterChandargup andJabl ul Ghurab and secondin HNP located at N: 25 52' .180 and E: 65 45' .930. Local people use the wordBorbroong formudvolcano.We therefore named thesemudvolcanoesas:

    3rd Eye Pakistani Photographers AssociationJuly 2009 25

    One special thing about thesemud volcanoes is thatglittering crystals of gold ranging 5 20 mm in sizfrequently be seen around the craters. But insteadthe real gold these are actually the crystals of pyrite opyrite (FeS ); an ore of Iron also known as Fool's Gol2

    As mud volcanoes have a direct link to gas and oiltherefore, it is recommended that government ssearch these natural resources here but keeping inthat the area fallswithinthe boundaries ofa National

    S.No. Name of Mud

    Volcano

    Details

    1 Borbroong I About 100 x 70 ft crater size, almost rounded in

    shape and at 1509 ft above sea level. Mud was

    oozing from three different points each of about 2 ft.

    2 Borbroong II About 15 x 12 ft crater size, almost rounded in shape

    and at 1490 ft above sea level. Surface was wet,

    about 5 ft deep and mud was not oozing. 3 Borbroong III About 12 x 12 ft crater size, circular in shape and

    1480 ft above sea level. Surface looked like a spring

    and mud with water oozing out.

    4 Borbroong IV About 4 x 3 ft crater size, irregular in shape and

    1480 ft above sea level. Actively oozing mud.

    5 Borbroong V Borbroong V: About 3 x 3 ft crater size, circular in

    shape and 1480 ft above sea level and actively

    oozing out mud.

    6 Borbroong VI Borbroong VI: About 40 x 60 ft crater size, irregular

    in shape and 1470 ft above sea level. Mud was

    oozing from two points each of 2 ft diameter.

    7 Borbroong VII Borbroong VII: About 08 x 08 ft crater size, rounded

    in shape and 1470 ft above sea level. Crater was

    elevated about 3 ft from the surface and mud was

    oozing.

    The author is a field biologist andCoordinator, Environmental EducationWWF-Pakistan, Islamabad. He can bereached at [email protected]

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    3rd Eye Pakistani Photographers AssociationJuly 2009 26

    Date DA Fruit Like No OtherText: Ameer Hamza, Pictures: Raja Islam

    ate has been a popular fruit for centurvenerated not just by Muslims but alsoChristians and Jews, as well as people of otcultures.

    During Ramazan, dates are the preferred waybreaking the fast. Christians use date palm leaduring Easter and for Jews date seed is among

    seven holy seeds.

    The earliest evidence of date palm cultivationbe traced to Ur (lower Mesopotamia) arou4000BC. Date palm trunks were used forconstruction of the temple of the god of moOther sources put date palm cultivation6000BC, perhaps somewhere in the regbetween Asia and North Africa, the area bsuited for its farming.

    Pakistan has been one of the leading producers of dates, however, due to thelack of proper marketing strategy on the global level, lack of good roads fortransportation, andproper cultivation, it doesnot exportmuch of itsproduce.

    As dates can only grow in hot climates and preferably in places away from thesea, Makran, Khairpur, D.I. Khan and Sukkur are the main districts in thecountry where it is grown. Processing is mainly done in the Therhi area ofdistrictKhairpur.

    Date

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    July 2009273rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Over 263 varieties of dates are grown in Pakistan. Amongthem, aseel, karbala, fasli and kupro of Sindh; muzawati, begum jangi, jaan swore, kehraba and rabai of Balochistan;dhakki andgulistanof NWFP, are themore well-known ones.

    However, the prince among all the varieties of dates is theajwah. It is a special type of date small, compact, darkcoloured and tasty. Nowonder that it is one of the most costlyvarieties of date.

    On the technical side, the date palm is called phoenixdactylifera belonging to the phoenix genus. It is generally 15-25 metres tall but can reach 30 metres in height if excellent growing conditions are provided. Close surface water isneeded for its optimum growth and good quality fruit. It canevensurvive some extreme saline conditions.

    Dates are versatile and since they have been around forthousands of years, they have been used in different ways. They are used in coffee, alcoholic as well as non-alcoholicbeverages and the trunk is used formaking huts.

    In Oman they make fancy play boats from its shaft and many

    handicraft items from the seed. The largest consumption ofthisdelicious and nutritious fruit takes place during themonthofRamazan.

    o by: Ameer Hamza

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    July 2009 283rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    wept, felt revolted, but I found myself immediately caught up in the lives, laughter, tears, history, gossip, ambition and sheer gutsMaha, an aging"dancing girl" of Lahore, through the grace of Louise Brown's writing,who livedwith her family in a dingy, crumbliancient quarter ofLahore.Louise Brown lived inwretchedconditions to observe the life ofMaha,a woman inher 30s who has retiredI

    an industry where rookies are as young as 10 years old. You get to see the dilemma that her young 14 years old girl is shipped to Gulf to bmistress for an oldArab. This can beverypainful reading,veryyounggirls are raised tobe prostitutes, neglect and abuse are rampant.Bytime thesegirls have "agedout" totheir 30s, they are virtually worthless and must inturn raise theirown daughters tobe prostitutes.Withany ability to earn money from anything but sex (with the very youngest girls), this degradation carries on from generation to generatioften with grandmother,mother anddaughterallprostituted to the samedepravedwealthymen.

    The author gives an in-depth point ofview of daily life in Lahore, followingthe lives of several characters andfamilies as she personally visits themover a seven year period. Through her portrayal of their lives, one can gain agreat understanding of a world andculture so completely different fromtheir own. The vivid descriptions makeyou feel like you are therelivingyourselfthere in Heera Mandi. I learnt so much

    about the mentality of Pakistani womenwho are living in a cycle of prostitution.It makes me understand why it is sodifficult to get out of this situation withthe society being so unforgiving.

    The author has written the book sobeautifully that you can see the images inyour mind's eye with near-perfectclarity. It broke my heart , not onlybecause of what these women gothrough, but to see the way their pimpstreat them and they just accept it andknow no other way. They have nooptions and choices available to them,yet they don't seem to realize just howbad things are.

    Louise Brown spent months with the women andeunuchs at the Heera Mandi, yet had nothing butpraise for their hospitality and respect towards her.Atthe end, they are humans who had themisfortune tobe

    born in that part of the society, and they are doing the best they Know of, keepintheirtraditions alive, and surviving ona day today basis.

    A stunning, heartbreaking and amazing book on the secret culture of Red Ligarea ofLahore also knownas HeeraMandi, and a fascinating journey into a siof Indo-Pakistani culture usually, carefully hidden from view. Give it a try and dread this book.

    By E. Ka

    Dancing Girls of

    Dancing Girls ofThe

    The author is a Pakistani female photographer currently settled in States, and originally belonging toLahore. Her pictures present some of the most appealing still life compositions mainly focusing on foodand book covers. Key concepts in her compositions include object placement, color combination and

    most importantly natural light.

    Lahore

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    "The Phantom of the Opera" is a Frenchnovel by Gaston Leroux, based on realevents related to the Paris Opera House,and is a combination of romance, horror,

    mystery and tragedy

    s fa r a s h is tory i s Aconce rned, d r ama ti c production comes from thebanks of Nile... Throughoutthe history, theaters haveb e e n m e d i u m o f

    entertainment, education, andbringing new experiencesand understanding of theworld for the audience as well as the artists. Regardless of thefact that in Pakistan, the theater has rarely been given anysupport, it has, nevertheless, continued togrow in the culture informsofpoppet shows, comedy theaters& folkmusic.

    Theater is an art of storytellinan ancient art that is endangerein modern Pakistan. More likeit has been shaped badly tobe ft h e s p e c i f i c p e o p l e ocommunity who love to watch

    for fun, rater than art.

    My experience with the theatis nil... the only experience I have is when I am browsing mTelevision channel and something comes up with vulglanguage, and assault of insult, accompanied by shouting.never had an experience of looking deeper into the meaning owhat they were trying to say... I hope there was nothing

    ponder in them at all.

    I have been involved with photographwhich is becoming my passion. Durin

    my hunt for my own species I cameknow that our "Common Man" hanothing to appreciate about PakistaEverybody has gone mad. However,small sign of hope is that still there arefew people who are striving to make usee the brighter side of Pakisatn anone of them are the photographealways portraying the diversificatioand beauty wehave around us.

    One of my fellow posted regardin"The Phantom of the Opera i

    Is lamabad" a s a photogr aphinopportunity. I did not know anythinabout how these kind of events wecaptured and I thought it to be a vergood learningopportunity forme.

    "The Phantom of the Opera" is a Frencnovel by Gaston Leroux, based on reevents related to the ParisOperaHousand is a combination of romanchorror, mystery and tragedy. It was thbiggest ever theatrical production in th

    history of Islamabad. When I enterethe hall, it was mesmerizing. I nevsaw the audience like this wemannered and very disciplined. Thexperience I had of those typical dramI have already talked about, completevanished and a new image of Theatdrawn over me. After a beautifuintroduction by Sharabel and prayinfor our country Pakistan, the shostarted.

    July 2009293rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Text and pictures By: Ishtiaq Ahmad

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    His voice calls to her, nurturing herextraordinary t alents from the shadows of the opera house whereinnocent chorus girl Christine Daae

    make s her home. Christine's mysterious Angel of Music isactually the Phantom, a disfiguredmusical genius who haunts thecatacombs of the theater, terrifyingthe ensemble of artists who live andwork there.

    He finally drives the lead sopranocrazy so she and her friend leave. The girl is able to sing lead one nightbut the soprano doesn't want hershow stolen so she comes back. The

    ghost demands they keep giving hisprotoge lead roles. Meanwhile, Hispupil falls in lovewith the Raoul, butthe Phantom is in love withChristine, his student. The Phantomisoutraged by their love and kidnapsChristine tobe his eternal bride.WillRaoul, be able to stop this dastardlyplan??

    Drama was f i l led wi thsurprises, and beautiful spotlights and music and somebeautiful melodies. . Story,

    what I feel is very familiar towhat we have seen in ourchildhood "The Beauty and theBeast".

    The author is anInformation Technologyprofessional, and anameature photographer,based at Rawalpind. Hisprime area of interest islandscape, people andculture. His pictures on

    flickr.com are extremelycaptivating. His wonderfuldescription of the scenesmake his pictures look like

    a romantic poetry.

    July 2009 303rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

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    Central

    July 2009 313rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    LibraryBy Mr. and Mrs. Enjgr. M. Junaid Ra

    he story of books and libraries in the history of human civilization is interesting and amazingAccording to the social scientists, 90 percent of the process of human development in terms oTmental, physical, and social development could not be taken down because not enough avenue

    were explored for thepurpose.

    Generally speaking, a "Book" is a "Collection" of Human Thoughts & Contemplations and"Collection" and organization of books at one place where readers can choose to read a book of theichoice, istermedas a "Library".

    History is evident of the fact that several emperors, monarch, nobels, dignitaries and religious scholarlook great interest in patronizing literary activities.As such, most of them facilitated establishing anmanaging libraries.

    The significance of a book is apparent from the fact that almost all religious people keep their books oholyrevelationswith great care.

    LibraryBahawalpur

    Junaid Rashid fromahawalpur is a ThermalPower Engineer by

    profession and aphotographer bynheritance. Mrs. Junaids a student of Masters inMedia Studies. They can

    be reached [email protected]

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    July 2009323rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    TheArabs used toadvice theirChildren inthe following words:

    "O my child...When ever you have to stayanywhere in the market then always stayon those shops where arms & books aresold. Books are our best friends becausewhen your friends have abolished to seeyou then these books console you and ifyou will share any secretwith them they'llnot expressit toanyone else."

    The former princely state of Bahawalpuris famous even today for its unforgettableservices in the field of education. Theruler of BWP state not only founded anumber of educational institutions for thepromotion of literacy in the area but alsomanaged to establish a great librarywhich, at present, is know as " TheCentralLibraryBahawalpur.

    This library is regarded as one of the oldest libraries of Punjab. It wasconstructed for the public through the funds raised by thePublic, hence, is aclassic example of building community infrastructure through participatory

    approach.

    Environment ofLibrary

    The libraryatmosphere is extremlyserene.The readerscankeepthemselvesabsorbed in going through different books with complete attention anddevotion. The buildinghas been designed in such a way that the hot & sultryclimate of desert does not effect the cool atmosphere of the rooms. Booksare kept in different racks, cupboards, cabinets & almirahs in a beautifulmanner thusincreasing the interiordecor of the library.

    Treasureof Library

    The library has a treasure of about 200,000 books including ancient

    manuscripts, that further enhances the importance and significance of thelibrary. Its like a fountain of knowledge which is quenching the thirst of thepersons greatly interested in the books reading.TheMagazines and journals

    88 kanals and 13 marlas

    Former Ameer of Bahawalpur

    1924 to 1932

    The building is beautiful model of Italia

    architecture with white tombs providingits additional elegance.

    Sadiq Reading Library.

    7.00 am to 7.00 pm 7 days a week.

    FACT SHEET

    Land area

    Donated by

    Construction period

    Architecture type

    1st Named

    Working Hours

    In 1924, the Public passed a resolution saying that onthe EVE of the "coronation ceremony" of the last rulerof Bahawalpur, Sir Sadiq MuhammadKhanAbbasi, apublic library would be established as a momento ofthe grand even. For this purpose the Public and Stateemployees contributed Rs.100,000. Due to shortageof funds Bahawlpur muncipality completed the

    remaining building in 1934 and established its officesin the building. Only a small portion was dedicatedfor the library. A few months before Pakistancreation, the building was vacated from theBahawalpur municipality through a court order and awonderful library was established by the government,thatwas renamed as "CentralLibraryBahawalpur

    HISTORY

    available in the lib. are about 32 in total. In addition, abou

    Newspapers are also available in the library. The parlibrary which has old manuscripts and printed books is wseeing. The collection of old magazines and journals inlibrary is tremendously big and amazing. Complete fileIndo-Pak, have been preserved in building shape. The antipiece of art and calligraphy, pictures, maps and charts ahallmark of this library. The verses of Quran written onskin of deer have beautifully been preserved. A glimpsthis art can be seen in the Gillani and Bukhari dynastie"UchShareef".

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    July 2009 333rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Newly received books have been kept on the 2nd floor where the cataloguing, indexationand othermatters of library are also performed. In the upper hall on one side there are about13,500 files of newspaper and magazines. Some of the important newspaper include;Akhbar e Oudh, Sir Moore Gazette,Patiala Akhbar, Al-Balagh Calcatta, Civil & MilitryGazette,Zamidar Lahore,Paisa Akhbar, Akhbar e AlamMeerut,Koh e Noor Lahore,Al-HilalCalcatta, andStatesMan,Calcatta.

    TheResearch Section

    Library's research section is very attractive and is isolated from the main part.This sectionconsists of books inUrdu and English arranged in a systematic manner to help readers find

    out their require stuff easily, without much hastle. The staff is also very friendly andcooperative. They extend great help in supply of the required books even from othersections..In the Urdu research section, books of significant importance on history, literatture,dictionary, and language and alphabets have been kept. Cataloguing of books has beendone in accordance withthe DaveyDecimalSystem.

    Training CenterOf Linguistics

    Another very interesting feature of the library is its training center of linguistics, in which theGerman&French Languages are taught.

    Iqbaliyat

    There is an exclusive section in the library dedicated for Iqbaliyat where, a handsomecollection of books on the life, poetry & philosphy of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal hasbeen preserved.

    Other Sections ofLibrary

    There are another section reserved forwomen, children and blind for providing services tothese segmentsof the society.The library also has anaudio visual section that isenriched bydocumentaries, films and reports about significant events of Bahawalpur and Cholistandesert including Mela-Chanon Peer, UCh Mela and celebrations of anniversaries of a number of saints scattered throughout the Bahwalpur and Cholistan area. In fact, thelibrary is oneof themost beautiful and elegantmonoument ofBahawalpur city.

    Refernce:Kutub aur KutabKhanon ki Tarekh,by "AshrafAli

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    July 2009343rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    By Ameer Hamza

    Photographic ExhibitionFirst Photographic Exhibition

    The

    Of PPAhe Pakistani Photographers'Association (PPA) www.flickr.com/groups/oppconducted its first ever exhibition in Karachi during 3-7 January 2009. Iwas an untiring effort of the PPA Administrators and the contributors, whoinitiated it and through shear hard work and sense of belonging, sent theirbest work to be displayed at a chic gallery of Defense (main Khb-e-Ittehadcalled T2F. The gallery was holding for the first time such an exhibition

    where photographs had not been tempered with. It was something new forT2F's administration.

    T

    As Regional Coordinator Ameer Hamzang interviewed by Geo News at the T2F Gallery

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    July 2009 353rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    The main theme of the exhibition wasPAKISTANand the sub-themes were:

    i) Landscape

    ii)Wildlife

    Iii)Archeology

    iv)People andCulture,and

    v)Travel Photography

    The photographers whose work wasdisplayed in the exhibition, were fromPunjab, Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP, andAzad Kashmir. The candidate entries wereto be submitted online by the participant photographers. The response was veryencourag ing even beyond ou r expectations. Around 240 entries were received, out of which 65 were selected fordisplay bya teamofselectors comprisingofthree photographers, headed by DoctorZaheer Sattar@RahimYarKhan one of themost respected photographers in PPA forhis creativity andunique style.

    Badshahi Mosque - by Muzaffar H. Bukhari

    Pictures displayed at T2F Gallery

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    July 2009363rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Selection criteria included; (i) relevance to the theme,(ii) composition, (iii) visual impact, and (iv) creativity. These criteria were strictly applied across the board. However, since PPA did not intend to discourage its young/new members by rejecting their entries purely on

    technical grounds, some relaxation was given to suchmemberswhosework lacked technicalexcellence.

    The available space at the T2F gallery could onlyaccommodate 50 pictures at a time. However, wemanaged to showcase all of the selected pictures byrotating some of the entries so as to ensure thateverybody's workis displayed.

    The event got wide coverage inboth electronic aswellasprint media. The entire credit for this media coveragegoes to the PPA members from Karachi particularlyAmeerHamza, who took lead in not only organizing theexhibition (including negotiating the terms with theowner of the T2F, and printing and framing of thepictures, but also managed to get the event covered byGeo News, DAWN News, and Sind TV. Three of ourmembers from Karachi including Ameer Hamaz, AliRezaKhatri and Danial were interviewedby the Geo andSind TV. PPA got the boast and lots of encouragingcomments from theenthralled visitors.

    Ratti Sar - AJK - by Shakee

    ssu, Northern Areas by Muaffar H. Bukhari

    Hunza in Autumn - by Shakeel Ajmal

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    Credit also goes to PPA members from Karapart icularly, Sultana Tabassum Faroooqivolunteering herself to help organize the exhibitandAliReza,for coverageof the exhibition.

    ShakeelAjmal a PPA member and pro photograpfrom Attock, was the most liked photographer was said tobe the FINDofthe exhibition.

    On the whole, itwas a very good experience for Pto successfully organize such an event. We planhold the second exhibition along the same lineIslamabad sometimes around third quarter ofyear.

    wal Lake by Farid Gujjar

    July 2009

    33rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Group photo of Participants fromKarachi

    Many of photographers were interviewedby various TV channels

    hite throated KingfisherMuzaffar H. Bukhari

    ndur Top by Kamran SafdarPictures displayed at T2F Gallery

    A railway station near Bolan, BalochistanBy Ednial

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    July 2009383rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Playing Polo on Top of the Worldhand ur i nv i t es v i s i to rs t o experience a traditiona l polo

    tournament between the teams of

    Chitral and Gilgit in every year of

    July. The tournament is held at

    Shandur Pass, the highest polo

    ground in the world at an elevation

    of 3,700 meters. The festival also

    includes Folk music, dancing and a

    camping village isset up.

    Gilgit, Chitral and Skardu have

    always played the game of poloclosest to its original form. In the

    past, local Rajas, Mirs and Mehtars

    were the patrons of this thrilling

    game. At times, more than 50% of

    the annual budget of their

    principalities would be spent on

    supporting thegame.

    Sext and photos By: Raja Amir

    olo at Shandur

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    July 2009 383rd Eye Pakistani Photographers Association

    Historically the game goes back many centuries when thelocal Mehtars , Mirs and Rajas were patrons of polo and itwas played, not only for pleasure, but also on celeberatoryand commemorative occasions. TheMehtar of Chitral wouldsend a message to his relatives - the Rajas of Ghizar, Yasinand Ishkumanand the wordwould travel far down the valleysto Punial Gilgit and Chilas where the challenge would betaken up. But despite being dubbed as 'the game of kings', inthe Northern Areas, it is not an elitist sport, and often played

    in village square on sorry nags or even on bicycles. It is thelocalobsession alongwithmusic & dancing onShandur.

    Above all the passion with which the game is played by theage-old rivals, make the Shandur Polo Festival anunforgettable occasion. A large tented village and bazaar isset up at the time of the festival where thousands of peoplecamp out and enjoy witnessing this thrilling game at theworlds highestpologround.

    The remote wind-swept amphitheater of the Shandur Passlocated on the lofty border between Gilgit and Chitralcomes to life once a year every year, as the dramatic venuof the Shandur Polo Festival held during the first week oJuly.

    At a chilling elevation of 3,734 meters, this is the worldhighest polo field, set in a magnificent landscape of rollinpastures, crystalline azure lakes & Hindu-Raj mountains

    it is just the setting for the clash of the local polo titansChitral and Gilgit. This contest is considered the toughespolo tournament in the world - with fraying tempers anpassions running high, the strain of the high altitude anthe ferocity of the game creates a drama in which horsedie and players invariably suffer grievous injuries. Yedespite all the hazards, the polo tradition continueunabated.

    handur Lake

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    Issue 1, July 2009

    Disclaimer

    Pakistani PhotographersAssociation (PPA) provides the information contained in this online magazineand links to its flickr web space solely as a resource. While PPA tries to provide high-quality content, itdoes not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of this information; and therefore, will not beliable in any capacity for damages or losses to the user that may result from the use of this information

    An Online quarterly photographic magazine of PPA