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Armed Kohistani men abduct 4 from Hundarap Meadows in Phandar Valley

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Hundarap Valley, Phandar, Ghizer District, Gilgit-Baltistan

The dispute of Hundarap pasture between Phandar Valley in District Ghizer of Gilgit-Baltistan and Komila Valley in District Kohistan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has entered a new phase as armed men abduct four people from the disputed Hundarap Nullah.

According to initial reports, armed Kohistani men entered Hundarap pasture from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa side and abducted four people reported to be young shepherds from Phandar Valley.

The locals have accused Malik Afreen Khan as the major culprit behind the abduction of the young boys who were taken by force to the other side of the pasture.

The young shepherds have been recognized as Ali, Akram, Amir, and Alamgir. Four others were able to escape and report to the locals down in the Hundarap Valley. They reported that around two dozen armed men abducted four shepherds by force.

The Hundarap Case is under trial in The Gahkuch Session Court in the Ghizer District over a grazing land dispute. The Hundrap Nullah borders with Ghizer in Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

The abduction of the four shepherds could be associated with the hearing of the Hundrap Nullah Case in Gahkuch Session Court. The hearing is scheduled for August 1, 2019, according to a local reporter.

The locals have demanded the safe release of the young shepherds and requested the security agencies to take action.

Crime

Hunza Police Raids and Seizes 230 liters of Araq, arrests illegal Hunza Moonshine maker

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Hunza Police Raids and Seizes 230 liters of Araq Moonshine - Hunza Water
SHO Hunza (Facebook)

Hunza Police had raided an illegal Hunza moonshine distillery in Altit town of Central Hunza Valley and seized around 230 liters of Araq. According to a post published on Facebook by an account associated with SHO Hunza District, the police raided the illegal moonshine factory based on a tip.

The successful operation was led by SHO Hunza himself. A team of policemen who participated in the raid posed for a photo with an illegal moonshine maker after seizing Araq and distillation equipment.

The post further mentions that an FIR has been lodged against the owner of the factory. The distillation equipment and 230 liters of Araq, some of which were already filled in reused mineral water bottles, were seized from the illegal moonshine factory.

Hunza Police Raids and Seizes 230 liters of Araq Moonshine - Hunza Water
Araq (Hunza Moonshine) filled in reused mineral water bottles seized by Hunza Police.

Raids of such kind are not new in the Hunza district. Despite a rise in making and selling of the Hunza Moonshine, locally known as Araq and sometimes referred to as Hunza Water by tourists, authorities have failed to formulate address the issue.

During the past five years, at least seven such raids have been made but the real issue is far from being addressed.

Hunza Police Raids and Seizes 230 liters of Araq Moonshine - Hunza Water
Illegal Hunza moonshine distillation equipment seized by Hunza Police.

According to a survey in 2015 by a youth organization, 3 out of every 5 men in Hunza consume Araq at least once in a month. Due to a ban on publicly buying and selling of alcohol, the illegal moonshine makers find a way to fill the gap.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, the local moonshine making industry is thriving in the districts of Hunza and Ghizer.

BBC reported in 2013 that despite a public ban, alcoholism is becoming a rising issue in Pakistan. Despite excise taxation on liquor, beer, spirits and alcohol, there is no written national policy in Pakistan adopted to address the many issues related to alcoholism.

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