Winter exodus from Chitral in top gear

CHITRAL: Every winters a good lot of residents of Chitral districts migrate to the south mainly to Peshawar and Islamabad/Rawalpindi to spend the season. Reason quoted for this phenomenon was the cost of living which becomes expensive due to high cost of firewood for heating the houses and increase in prices of essential commodities.

An intending migratee told CN that it was more economical to rent a small house/apartment in Peshawar or Rawalpindi than to live in own house in Chitral. The added benefit of a milder weather in the southern cities is another factor that prods Chitralis to move southwards in winters. Many Chitralis postpone treatment of their summer illnesses to the winter season so that they can visit Peshawar or Rawalpindi on the excuse of treatment. (“Dakthar Afotey refer arer”)

This year the winter season being unusually harsh, the push southwards is more pronounced. Our correspondent reports that it is difficult to get seats on any public transport going south. However the same transports return to Chitral almost empty. .. CN report,1 Jan 2020

One thought on “Winter exodus from Chitral in top gear

  1. When spring will return, all the seasonal emigrees would return to Chitral and when Shandur season arrives the labourers, household servants, employees with private firms will become unstoppable from returning home. Excuses like mother is sick, grandmother has died, brothers marriage etc are some of the patent excuses which the Chitralis make to fly back to their ‘home sweet home’.

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