Today, VoH completes its one years of online publication. We, few youth during studies in Karachi had planned to start a regional website few years back amidst numerous constraints ranging from finance to contribution of time and support. Last year on impulse, we decided to start this blog to materialize the desire to create an alternative source to further the cause of the common man of an area surrounded by many challenges as an inspiration from other regional blogs, news bulletin sites and news papers which are already working to educate and inform to the people of backward Gilgit-Baltistan region about developments at regional and international level. Yet, due to widening circle of concern on part of blogs and online websites, numerous issues in the region have been remained unoticed. Few of the readers of this blog from Gilgit-Baltistan region of which Hunza is a small territory and former is the guardian of later also suggested a year back to start a liberal and impartial news paper formally as an addition in print media. The financial cum publishing and bureaucratic red tap and formalities in declaration, economic crunch and regional uncertain market situation and circulation constraint on our own parts compelled us first undertake a home work through a blog under a heading of a suffix (Gilgit-Baltistan) GB.

"Our three months trial publication and valuable suggestion and advice via innumerable emails gave us the courage to continue a path, though difficult but full of fun and experience. We try and will try our most to deliver the voice of a common man to authorities without adding some thing from our own. Our main objectivity is to show reality in news bulletin and keep ourselves impartial but logical and factual in columns and editorials "

Yet, following many e-mails and suggestions, we tried to focus a particular area with reference to Gilgit-Baltistan as well as Pakistan that administer the area for decades. Despite of critic to replace name of Hunza with GB, we continue work the same name for few reasons: first, by focusing on nascent Hunza-Nagar district we would try to identify the flaws in public policy, appreciate healthy, steady and sustainable developmental initiatives, human rights issues and to protect interest of common man in society. Using the same domain, we try to cover Gilgit-Baltistan as well as rest of the country according to our capacity. We know, many would have hatred with name of Hunza that make them vary for any reason, but our aims was and is to identify our deficiencies and convert them into strengths. We, the team of VoH are thankful to God almighty, for his support as well as to our valuable readers whose trust and confidence enabled us to persevere and retain relation during a year like a family members of online community. We faced odds of various types ranging from financial, administrative burden and constant obstacles to deviate us and make us abstain to show reality by few anti social elements besides energy crisis and least cooperation from both government and non-government organization while covering any incident or event on apprehension of sensor free dissemination of information. Despite of difficulties, we are committed to portray reality by disseminating the authentic information with maximum accuracy, without adding something from ourselves except where urgent; while drawing conclusions on any issue, we would continue to be impartial and any kind of suggestions for correction in any of analysis or news post from readers would be highly appreciated. As human beings are err and despite of our efforts to portray reality it is equally possible that the event or any incident bear any other perspective that we might have remained unaware.
We reterate our determination to unfoil every conspiracy against basic human rights, social injustice, nepotism, secterainism, generder biasness and voilation to administrative accountibility. VoH shall follow the principles of undounted journalism irrespective of any ideology, respecting communal harmony,diversity and pluralist thought keeping the our regional identity albiet acceding to other currents. Both public and private sector keep influnce on print and electric media in terms of advertisement. Despite of our limited financial means to operate or moderate this blog, being an independent, non-profit humanitarian mission, we shall continue to hit on corruption and other social evils. We respect human beings irrespective of their faith, origin, ideology and status for the end phenomenas leads to to disturb peace of mind both at individually and collectively. Despite of certain limitations we vow to do our role though nominal as compared to the rest for the larger benefit of poor class and world peace throughout our lives.
Moreover, VoH would strive to become an effective medium to applaud positive developments and voice over injustices that hurt common man in the country. We aspire to become a powerful voice of voiceless people any where in the country in general and he region in particularly. Moreover, we thought extensively over the suggestions by some of the readers to replace name Hunza, as few argued this name has confined its circle of readership. Yet, few others even from down cities disliked it saying being a popular place across the world, we should use the same domain. Thus, we would try to cover every event and incident according to our capacity in future. Furthermore, we shall also cooperate government to fight against social evils as a responsible media.
We, VoH team would like to say happy diwali to followers of Hindu, Eid-ul-Azha Mubarak to the Muslim and to other faiths if any as such celebrations were observed this year, including Happy New year in advance to all our readers, respectively. Once again we thank our readers for their suggestion and guidance both by emails and few comments for correction of both grammatical and lay out errors. Have a fantastic and thrilling year to come! Always welcoming your advice as valuable readers. Good Bye, Khuda Hafiz, Khuda yaar!
Justify Full
VoH Team

Posted by Shamsuddin Muhammad on Friday
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2 comments

  1. This is my 15th visit to your blog and highly appreciating flow of your work for better society. We all know more needs to be done to create a world that works for everyone. But how? We've just launched a new video that explains how Acumen Fund works and why it matters. But don't take my word for it - if you haven't seen it, please take a moment to learn how we have partnered with Husk Power to do the "impossible".
    Watch the video here: http://support.acumenfund.org/site/R?i=tYukkkIyVQy6jJwnLzH4RQ.
    And to support our efforts directly, please consider making a gift to Acumen Fund. Every dollar counts in our work to build businesses that serve the poor and change the way the world tackles poverty. http://support.acumenfund.org/site/R?i=lQKOOB70CwtR1gH0rpna0Q..
    Many thanks and warm regards,


    Yasmina Zaidman
    Director of Communications

     
  2. I like your dedicated work and courage you shown in your article’ An adventurous Experience’ a wanna advice you to continue over.
    Acumen Fund's community continues to grow and thrive. I want to extend a deep sense of gratitude to everyone bringing so much, financially and otherwise, to our mission. This year we saw more than 100 new or renewed Partners, who are becoming involved through new efforts such as Venture Partners, in which they will spend significant time supporting specific investments. We've also seen the growing phenomenon of chapters
    that support our work: there are currently 10 around the world, with two more, Boston and Japan, in formation.

    If I've learned anything these past nine years, it is that there is no more profound currency than trust. I was deeply moved at the end of summer by the Pakistan floods, and greatly saddened by the lack of media coverage. My husband and I traveled to the country to see the situation on the ground. We found massive devastation - 21 million people homeless - but we also found Acumen Partners doing Herculean work to bring real support to those most in need. I felt proud to know and be part of them. On our lastevening, we shared dinner with our advisers at the home of Partner Farrokh Captain, and we talked about how we might leverage trust to help. While Acumen is not a relief agency, there is much we and our companies and advisors can do to help transfer some of the most relevant goods in Acumen's global network. We also can convene and connect. We have been suggesting that the U.S. government consider matching dollar-for-dollar what Pakistanis are doing through private sector efforts and philanthropy to help their fellow citizens.

    Let me end focused more specifically on voice and poverty. The Blue Sweater has been chosen by a number of universities as their Common Book read, which means that all
    incoming freshmen read the book and then use it as a learning tool. As a result
    I've had the privilege of visiting a number of U.S. campuses this fall. What struck me again and again is how hungry young people are to dive into more complex conversations about the kinds of solutions an interconnected world needs - and
    how they feel there are too few places to do so.

    We are seeing too many of our leaders move from a place of ideological certainty just at the moment when we need to step back together to better understand how we as
    a world came to a place of such interconnectedness with a rising gap between rich and poor. Our world demands new solutions that start with defining the problems at hand and then using our many resources, including the markets, including government, and including patient capital and philanthropy, to solve them. Doing so will take a more proactive, imaginative and moral leadership.

    At Acumen Fund, our commitment to invest in entrepreneurs as well as to invest in leaders and in ideas is stronger than ever. In so many ways we are just beginning. In all ways, we need you to help us use the ideas of patient capital, dignity and interconnectedness to extend the civil rights movement to reach every human being on the planet.This is no time to think small.Wishing you all good things,


    Jacqueline Novogratz,
    CEO, Accumen Fund

     

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Monitoring every regional historical development

Monitoring every regional historical  development
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Discerning social Change in Gilgit-Baltistan

Discerning social Change in Gilgit-Baltistan
Reflecting socio-economic, administrative and cultural impulses in regional periphery

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Mission Statement & Weekly VoH Publishing team


VoH
Voice of Voiceless

The blog aims to disseminate the accurate regional information without consideration of race, color, ethnicity, religion and ideology to the valuable readers across the globe. We promise to abide with the moral and professional ethics of citizen journalism through this medium of communication. The voiceless masses of this one of the most beautiful places on earth, situated in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan experience hard times due to continuous natural and man made disasters which have left them at surviving stage. Shortly speaking, in a short span of time, Hunza valley has embraces a steady socio-economic and ecological development making it self an authentic book to read about or take a model for rest of far flung valleys bordering Chines Sinkiang province in the extreme north of the country. The haphazard material development in this comparatively small area has also served to create various socio-economic and ethical problems which ultimately served to shake the fabrics of very roots and foundations of culture and civility among dwellers. On geo-political front, analysts find a very little say of a common man in the major decisions related to regional socio-economic development, violation of meritocracy by mafias in political parties, pressure groups which safe guard their own interests, a unbridled bureaucracy, corrupt regimes that patronizing nepotism or favoritism and who wield powers in Gilgit, the main hub and capital of Gilgit-Baltistan. Rapid increase in expenditures ranging from general commodity price hikes to transportation has left no option or time for people to think on other issues.
The so called Economic-Recession, unequal distribution of wealth, concentration of opportunities towards certain beings, lack of social responsiveness and transparency in government sector and no check and balance on private sector has brought its ugly implication in terms of high unemployment, depression among the youngsters, anxiety and hatred towards system of governance.
We vow to bring fore the issues of common man at grass root level, strive to highlight irregularities in government sector and flaws in public policy and finance in a democratic way. We shall continue to give our opinion on issues of importance and determine to prove a viable platform to have a positive role for public welfare, inter-communal harmony, integrity and social justice.
Amid such a situation when even the survival of country is on stake and is defamed due to continual terrorist incidents throughout the our county, we may pray for a peaceful and prosperous future of the nation. May Lord save the peaceful Gilgit-Baltistan region from the evil designs of devils in human form.

The blog has been developed and upgrading by the efforts of the following dedicated volunteers.


Board of Editors
Editor: Shamsuddin Muhammad
Email:jaashams@gmail.com


Co-editor: Inam Karim
Email: inamkarim02@gmail.com


Reporting Team
Karachi: Sartaj Karim
Email: sartaj_compaq@hotmail.com



Hunza: Naeem Hamoon
Email: naeemhmn@hotmail.com


Gilgit: Aslam Shah

Email: hunzaishah@gmail.com


Islamabad: Ikramullah Baig
Email: hunza_havenonearth@yahoo.com

Voice of the voiceless!

The blog is a venture with exclusive news updates, unbiased analysis and opinion on historical, cultural, ecological, socio-economic, geopolitical and administrative issues and events occurring in country in general and the region particular. It would serve as a portfolio of credible information retained first hand from own and secondary reliable electronic and print media sources and aspire to become a powerful voice for a common man. We are committed to adhere with the professional ethics of citizen journalism, a new trend to shackle the chains of excessive curb over dissemination of reality either for any cause in the name of so-called sensor, with maximum possible accuracy and least deviation while delivering information to show the real side of picture of events so that our valuable readers will have an alternative portal to know what developments are going on various levels, particularly backward areas like that of Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, Azad Jamu and Kahsmir, Tribal areas etc., across the country. One can easily discern a great social change in terms of attitudes, perceptions both in individual and society; values and reaction to the variables in daily life patterns among the dwellers of the comparatively backwards areas like Gilgit-Baltistan, a deprived region of its fundamental rights for more than six decades of its liberation from colonial yolk. In a quest to voice over issues of vital importance, keeping closer to circle of concern, Hunza, a name famous for its beauty and rich cultural heritage has been selected to represent as a case to further the cause and issues of the rest of the region. Virtually, the region especially Hunza-Nagar retained a rapid development with a short span of time after remaining isolated for centuries to out side world. The blog also aims focus largely to identify core areas from on bottom or grass root level to the top. Keeping due consideration of inter-religious harmony, tolerance, respecting pluralism, diversity, mutual respect, democracy, equal opportunity and other aspects of human rights and professional values of journalism, the blog will serve as a binding force and medium of voice of the voiceless people of the area with reference to Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The idea of creation of this blog came into my mind during a visit after spending few years of career at Karachi, capital of Southern province to the region. While traveling from south pole of the country to north, I experienced many new changes nearly in all aspects of life explicit in urban areas and implicit in rural belts: people have opted to modern technology, availed faster means of communication; task centered behavior, selfishness, following short-cuts, chase of wealth and more opportunities in their career and many more that made their lives much more easier but crazier than before. Nevertheless, the scene suddenly turned bit dim when I entered the region of Gilgit-Baltistan. I could not believe my eyes that this was the Gilgit I saw four years ago. Many things, except the faces were utterly unchanged formats primitive outlook. The Chinese bridge that linked Danyore and Gilgit and a main source of transportation was no more. Few people told me that few journalists have lost their lives in lethal road accident due to lack of arrangements on part of concerned authority to avoid the incident. Karakorum High Way (KKH), one of the highest truck able route and so-called eighth wonder in the world is under construction and many places portray nothing but a passage through a rough stony pasture. It took nearly twenty four hours from Rawalpindi to reach after an exhaustive journey to Hunza, my home town, compared to nineteen hours in past. The scenario seemed worse in Hunza, my home town which remained unchanged for last four years except a drastic decline in standard of living of more than fifty percent of the population. One may think that people have replaced muddy homes with cement ones but that are not the real yardstick of measurement of both mental and material development. Infrastructure, fixtures, telecommunication systems were largely depreciated to their estimated life coupled with inappropriate number of personnel required in educational, administrative and health institutions. The so-called economic meltdown that started from American giant Leman soon took the world into its tyrant claws, shaking many stable economies of the world including the rural areas of developing states- a big example of negligence and subjugation by the rulers of respective countries where people live not above the level of animals. Apart from the allegations on policy makers of industrialized nations having economic interest only, the poor, irrational, incompetent, self-centered and corrupt leadership in Pakistan like other third world countries where immature economies spends it larger portion of budget expenditure on defense could not resist the negative consequences of economic crisis in terms of high rate of unemployment, recession, right or down sizing, price hikes, violation of consumer rights and so on. Hunza-Nagar, like other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan was no exception. The smiling faces that greeted us once warmly few years ago turned unhappy for the crisis brought its ugly implication on the daily life pattern of an individual thus sucking down the unique attributes of population: courtesy, generosity and hospitality. Having a so-called high rate of literacy in the country unfortunately, the region is facing many problems ranging from health to drinking water and energy sector. To many, it was because of lack of geo-political awareness and excessive tendency towards NGO culture where people little bother to beg their rights from the states besides emphasis on duties. Historical chronicles vindicate that the region remained in isolation for many centuries due to a specific location and lack of access to out side world. Many dynasties ruled the area that hardly accepted change in a traditionally sophisticated feudal based society. The wheel of transition continued to move and finally the area got librated through a mutiny with the help of indigenous population from the clutches of Dogra subjugation. Later, the area was affiliated with Pakistan vide a secret treaty called Karachi Treatise as defacto part, unconditionally. Gilgit-Baltistan region got on real terms an impetus to grow from zero level with the visit of three icons of development: Aga Khan, President Ayub Khan and Z.A.Bhutto- a historic event of its nature with long standing implications on live of the people of the region.The area could hardly observed any impulse for more than half dozen years of affiliation with Pakistan when Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan (3rd) first time introduced Diamond Jubilee Schools network during mid fifties in the region. A real phase of development gain impetus when Shah Karim Alhusaini, Aga Khan (fourth) stepped in the region, a population with miserable conditions in 1960. He initiated many new projects in different aspect of life, strengthening the existing educational network under the umbrella of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for the betterment and uplift standard of living of masses lived under poverty line. Aga Khan Development Network in collaboration with donor agencies, with a view to bring social change from grass roots level, initiated rural support programme and other services for less-privileged societies in the region. In simple words, initial projects were stretched to new areas under AKDN umbrella ranging from self-entrepreneurship to planning and building services. These development programmes served a catalyst for a common man who, earlier was confine to a certain limit where facilities and perks were confined to a specific creed, definitely a big change in society led to process of decline of so-called nobility. By, 1974, Z.A.Bhutto, chief of Pakistan Peoples Party and his cabinet undertook a disintegrated country following the fall of Dhaka, albeit eliminating princely status of numerous states gave them democratic structures, initiated socio-economic, political and administrative reforms in civil services cadres under 1973 constitution of Pakistan. These reforms opened a path for further reforms in tribal and affiliated princely states, mostly in mountain regions. Elders assert, by 1976, when Bhutto abolished the princely status of the units and replaced the princely flag with that of the country declared region formally its de-fecto part. The new development allowed for the first time a limited right of franchise and representation in a parallel council governed from capital. He in collaboration with international donor agencies like UNICEF and World Food Programme helped ensure provision of basic necessities like food to indigenous population still in poor conditions. He gave word to poor and enables to build his destiny. The facility fell a prey of Zia-ul-Haq who abolished the programme to benefit his favorite breed. He altered such programmes to facilitate Mujahideen busy fighting Afghan war against Soviet invasion on behalf of American assistance. By, 1988, before the withdrawal of USSR, Zia regime played a dirty game: as an integral strategy to get parallel success, he supported a breed of militants to eliminate all those against his faith in Gilgit-Baltistan. Unfortunately, the indigenous people could not understand his nefarious designs under the veil of religion that had to sustain his regime using divide and rule tactic and nothing to do with public welfare fell a prey of communal discord. Thousands of innocent people were brutally killed without a reason from both sides and this in turn sowed the seeds of sectarianism thus introducing a Kalashnikov culture in this region. On country’s political front, frequent interventions of military in politics in the wake of undemocratic moves of leadership, double standard attitude of bureaucracy and excessive influence of establishment forces harmed political evolution during last sixty two years of country's history. A finest dictatorship is considered worse than a worse democracy for it largely overlook the opinion of masses. The undemocratic regimes since 1952 onwards in general and during dictators’ regimes left people with no option but to support immature, corrupt and unable leadership confined to their self interests coupled with narrow vision. On global front, with the withdrawal of USSR from Afghanistan, American administration started to shift its strategy of dependency and support for Pakistan especially that to check movement and expansion of communist philosophy, an anxiety among the then US policy planners. Political front once again passed through a new change in 1999 when military took over in October 1999. Numerous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), both national and international rapport delivered remarkable work since 1990s to 2004 in many sectors like education, health, cultural preservation, design and building.

History repeated itself, but in a new form under different circumstances after cold war, when terrorists attacked twin towers of World Trade Centre, an icon of prestige and glory of America killing thousands of innocent people as a response to US policies inviting a fresh hostility between US and Islamist groups or in other words initiated an open conflict between two countering forces. To some, hidden forces worked behind the incident: Muslims thought it was a Judaist elements while to Europe and US a strike of Islamist elements; even the then Bush administration alleged Islamist groups behind this nefarious act to initiate an open armed struggle to defy its policies and interests. The September 11 incident served a cause to create sufferings for the Muslim communities residing in America and Europe. Being a sponsoring source of Jihadist elements, Pakistan was in real trouble as it was asked either ally the US or ready to go into stone age. Consequently, Pervez Musharraf took U-turn in state policy against billions of dollars as assistance. Once again, US dependency on Pakistan after Afghan war, in an endless war against an invisible enemy in terms of Osama started, leading farmer to think to gain control over natural resources in Afghanistan and Central Asian states. As a state, Pakistan endured many hardships, mostly from inside elements, Majority of our political leadership, for instance is largely nurtured under the aegis of military establishments and always ready to achieve their own interest lest it comes to compromise on national matters, evident from the successive overthrowing of representative regimes. They could not deliver any remarkable to uplift the standard of living of a common man except false promises. It was the Musharraf regime which can be given credit for many reasons: allowed a national government to complete its five year tenure, introduced local government systems for dicentralization of power though a move to by pass the then political and administrative forces like his predecessors military dictators to bolster one man show. Apart from few of blunders in terms of killing of Akbar Bugti, subjugation of judiciary, appointment of army on service and retired personnel in institutions offering higher education, other key positions in major public organiztions and using force as a decisive force instead of dialogue his regime can be recalled for many things during last eight years. He was the first who put hand on non-state actors, brought changes in status of deprived regions like Gilgit-Baltistan bringing reforms and took initiatives to improve education and health facilities. He gave us an International University, increased woman representation, empowered Northern Light Infantry, established N.A scouts and notified Hunza-Nagar district and many more. Yet, at the same time on mass level, despite many accomplishments, it failed to address the real issues of poor. Giant fishes got most and poor further got depressed as the regime greatly revolved around the interests of Chaurdhries and lords. December 2007, shall be remembered a black day when Benazir Bhutto, a female leader of international repute was assassinated at the same place where one of the most famous Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan as killed. Country fell into chaos and observed an extreme internal and internal threat to her existence second time after 1971. Good heaven, the situation soon normalized. With the dawn of democracy, based on Benazir Bhutto's sacrifice has brought a hope of change of image of the country in global economy. PPP led contemporary government has given a new Self Governance Reforms Package 2009 ahead of poles to empower the assembly to legislate on various subjects not allowed in past and choose their own Chief Minister unanimously with the consent of Prime Minister, the head of set up-a good initiative after Z.A Bhutto's compassions for the region. The package has opened a door for more autonomy resembles to that of Azad Kashmir. Though, there are many flaws in the package yet, it will serve to reduce feeling of deprivation among the masses.

There is another side of the picture that the poor performance in many of the departments in government sector during last two years has raised many questions in our mind regarding its capability to cope the challenges that the country faces internally and externally. Public welfare, security from internal and external aggressions and provision of basic necessities to the citizens is the fundamental responsibilities of modern states. Yet, more focus on external threats under security syndrome has left the country nothing but to expend on defense-thus neglecting other sectors like education, strategic personnel planning, health, trade and industry and exploitation of natural resources to strengthen our economy. As for as the private sector especially the NGOs are concerned, the are now confine to reporting to get funds, roam and measure the length of roads in their luxury vehicles. Now it depends on flow of events that will decide the future course of history.





Shamsuddin Muhammad,

Author and Editor,

VoH



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About Me

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Hyderabad,, IslamicRepublic of Pakistan, Pakistan
I am social person with a tendency towards learning knowledge that will balance the material world and the hereafter, a legacy obtained from the family. I earned my MA (General History with specialization in Modern History) and M.A.S (Master of Administrative siences with speciliazation in HRM) both from University of Karachi in 2005 and 2007 respectively, am fond of social work and public welfare. The blog focuses on social change caused by socio- economic and geo-political impulse in the country in general and the region particular.

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