THE CHANGING GEO-POLITICAL IMPORTANCE AND HISTORICAL SETTING OF ASTOR VALLEY NORTHERN PAKISTAN

Fazlur-Rahman*
& Iffat Tabassum**

Introduction

The study of political boundaries and frontier, a major theme of Political Geography, has a long history in Geographical research . Kristof has provided a detailed review of historical literature pertaining to different aspect of boundaries in three languages . Boundaries work as barrier as well as contact zone to the population living on both sides and they exist at every level separating continents, countries provinces and so on. In many cases boundaries have been demarcated after a detailed survey and comprehensive mapping (cf. Fletcher1999). However, with the passage of time the situation of international boundaries has totally changed in Europe with the formation of economic blocks and zones. Nevertheless, Leimgruber concluded that “[…], but boundaries continue to be one of the characteristics of the state. It can be contended that human coexistence owes a lot to the existence of boundaries, because they allow us to see and recognize the advantages of differences and judge for ourselves on which side of a border life is better. We cannot live in an unorganized world, hence the "prison walls" must continue to exist. However, holes in them are essential for humanity.”

The general scenario in south Asia is quite different. Here boundaries have been drawn mostly by imperial powers mainly for geostrategic reasons and in most of the cases the inhabitants have suffered one way or another. The boundaries problems that have originated in 1947 are still persisting in many locations particularly in the geographically inaccessible areas. In areas where the boundary is blurred and people are using resources in the close proximity are suffering a lot. With respect to the mountainous region of the Indian subcontinent, Kreutzmann provided a comprehensive overview on the genesis of colonial and post colonial boundaries, effect of ethno-linguistic characteristics of the region, changing political status of the localities in the so called contested frontier.
This study is primarily focused on the geo-political changes in Astor Valley. It is located in the western Himalaya and contiguous to the Jammu and Kashmir region. In the past for about a century it remained one of the main thoroughfares between Kashmir and the Northern Areas of Pakistan, popularly known as the Gilgit-Baltistan region. Moreover, before 1895 the main route from India to Chitral was also passing through this valley. Thus for more than a century this valley remained one of the major thoroughfare connecting this region with Kashmir and thus providing the basic necessities to the whole northern mountainous belt. The geographical location of Astor Valley, changes in the political setup at regional level in the Indian subcontinent and the British interest in this mountainous region totally changed the socio-economic structure of the inhabitants of this valley. However, political changes in the 1940s, the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India also affected the area under study. Since 1948 the political status of this valley changed and it became a typical cul-de-sac. This situation totally transformed the socio-economic structure of the inhabitants and majority of them suffered considerably. Nevertheless, the changing position of the cease fire line and deployment of military along the line of control has also stimulated the construction and maintenance of major infrastructure projects and provision of basic facilities and public aminities in the study area. This study is focused only on the Astor Valley that is the watershed of the Astor River. In this paper an attempt is made to highlight the geo-political importance of the study area with particular reference to the impacts of regional and supra-regional political events.

 Geographical Characteristics of Astor Valley

Astor a valley, presently part of the Astor district, is located in the north western Himalayas. It has been one of the politically and strategically important places since antiquity. This valley is surrounded by high mountains on all sides and the entry and exit in the past was only possible through passes ranging in height from above 13,000 feet to over 17,000 feet from mean sea level. Important passes of the valley are Mazeno Gali (17540 ft), Toshe Gali (16820 ft), Shonter Gali (14950), Rati Gali (14090 ft) Kamri Pass (13368 ft), Burzil Pass (14000 ft), Chachor Pass (13997 ft), Alampi La (16503 ft), Banak La (16285 ft) and Ditchal Gali (15100 ft). They are connecting Astor Valley with the surrounding areas of Diamir, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Baltistan. Compared to other passes, the southern passes such as Kamri and Burzil were and still are easy to cross and more important not only for the study area, but also for the whole northern mountainous region of Pakistan. The southern margins of Astor valley separate the Indus watershed from the Jehlum and Astor River is one of the major left bank tributary of the Indus River.
Astor valley is located towards the south east of Gilgit at a distance of about 150 km. It remained part of the Gilgit Wazarat during the Dogra rule and was part of Gilgit district till 1973. In 1973 Diamir district was created and Astor became a subdivision of that district. With the passage of time the location of this valley necessitated administrative changes and Astor was upgraded to an additional district till 2004. However, in 2004 it has been upgraded to a regular district of Northern Areas of Pakistan and the historical administrative headquarter has been shifted from Astor centre (Choungrah/Eidgah) to Gorikot in the southern part of the main valley. The geographical area of Astor district is 6554 km² and according to the census of 1998 the total population of Astor was 71,666 persons. This district is bounded on the north by Gilgit district on the northeast by Baltistan, to the south by the Gurez valley of Indian held Kashmir, to the southeast by Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and to the west by Chilas subdivision of Diamir district (Fig 1).
In addition to the political and strategic significance, one of the most important trade route was also passing through this valley in north south direction, connecting on the one hand China and other Central Asian States with Indian sub-continent on the other hand it has been the main link between Afghanistan in the far west and Leh and Tibet in the east. This valley was also known as ‘key of the Hindukush’ and has been the gateway on the famous trade route connecting China with the West, Kashmir and South-Asian Sub-continent. Throughout the historical period the name of Astor valley had been changing and each writer, traveller, explorer and historian had used different names for it. According to Khan, "Astor has been mentioned by the Greek traveller Herodotus (484-425 BC). It was also traversed by two Chinese travellers (Pilgrims), Fa-Hsien from the north in 400 A.D. and Hsuan-Tsang from south in 629 A.D. The famous Muslim tourist (Sig!) and historian Al-Biruni (996-1037 A.D.) visited the area and called it 'Asvira'. The ancient name of the track was 'Abhisaras' or highland in Sanskrit". Later on this name changed to 'Hasora' which has been mentioned in most of the documents of the revenue department. The Kashmiri officials mostly used this name in compiling official records and correspondences. Moreover, in this regard Wazir Mohammad Ashraf Khan observed that the name (Hasora) had evolved from 'Hisar' means fort in Persian. It was because of the location of the valley, which is surrounded by high mountains, or due to the fortified settlements or ‘kotes’ that were common here at the time of Kashmir influence. About the recent name ‘Astor’ he further observes that, "it [Astor] is a combination of two Pashto words 'AS and 'TOR' means black horses, signifying, perhaps, the place where horse abound due to its grassy meadows.

Historical Settings

Astor valley has no separate history of its own. It remained most of the time under the influence of its strong neighbours, such as Gilgit, Baltistan and Kashmir. Therefore, the history of this valley is closely associated with them. Moreover, history of these remote valleys such as Astor was lost in the myth of antiquity because of the illiteracy of the inhabitants and unavailability of written records.
The surrounding areas of this valley had been inhabited by the human being right from the prehistoric times. Based on the rock carvings studied in Chilas, Gilgit, Baltistan etc., it is generally believed by archaeologists and anthropologists that in the past these areas were not isolated in the broad regional context. There was all the time movement of people as a result of political changes in the north or south. Detail analysis of rock carvings, found along the Indus River revealed that the first inhabitants living there at that time were hunters, gatherers and collectors. They were living in caves and under large boulders. Moreover, the results of the latest research based on C14 dating revealed that animal husbandry in this region had been started around fourth century A.D. According to the available information, as far as Astor valley is concerned, until now, no rock carving has been reported from here. The existence of the prehistoric Man in the area seems to be logical because on the one hand it has been mentioned by the great historians and pilgrims in the past and on the other hand all the surrounding areas of the valley having enough proof of its existence. It is therefore, logical and justified to assume that this area was first settled during that said period.
The historical events of the past have not been recorded properly therefore, there is a gap in the historical evolution of the study area. The following description is based on the colonial records and other secondary sources compiled in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Based on the available written records historical evolution of the area under study can be divided into the following periods.

• Astor under Gilgit rule from 1080 to 1602 A.D.
• Astor under Baltistan/ Skardu rule from 1603 to 1819 A.D.
• Sikhs rule from 1819 to 1846 A.D.
• Dogra rule from 1847 A.D. to November 3rd 1947
• Astor after independence 4th November 1947 till to date.

Astor Under Gilgit Rule (1080 to 1602 A.D.)

It has been mentioned in various sources that the study area remained under the control of the Gilgit rulers for more than 500 years. However, the available historical records lack detailed chronological structure. According to Mulvi Hashmatullah Khan Astor came under the rule of Gilgit during the reign of Malik. He was ruling over Gilgit and the surrounding areas from 1160 A.D. to 1205 A.D. and extended his rule to Astor. Later on, it remained part of the Tarkhane kingdom until the reign of Mirza Khan 1565 to 1600 AD. Contrary to this other writers are of the view that the territory of Astor was part of Kashmir before its occupation by the Gilgit rulers. Moreover, the same author quoted above placed Astor in the territory ruled by Sheri Bedut (ca. 1080-1120). Nevertheless, from the geographical setting of this valley and the difficulties of access from Gilgit side it is safe to assume that the hold of Gilgit rulers over Astor might be of nominal type. But being on the main route to Baltistan and Tibet and Kashmir/India its importance was realised by the neighbouring principalities. It was usually functioning as a buffer zone between the ruling dynasties of Gilgit and Baltistan and in the meantime it also enjoyed a nominal independence mainly because of the difficulties of access from both sides. From Gilgit side crossing of the Indus River was a major problem and from Baltistan side the passes were quite higher and difficult to cross in most part of the year. For the inhabitants of Chilas it remained an important area for raids for plunder (see below). Nevertheless, this valley enjoyed internal security and accommodated the inhabitants of the war-torn Yaghistan. Most of the people fled to this valley in search of refuge. The surrounding areas were notorious for intertribal wars and blood feuds. This is manifested through the growth and development of human settlements in the valley.

Astor Under Skardu Rule (1603 to 1819 A.D.)

Astor was then occupied by the Makpun dynasty of Skardu during the reign of Ahmad Khan (1603-1636). The main cause for the western expansion of his empire was the repeated raids for plunder by the Astor people on their territory from the north. It remained under the rule of this dynasty for about 300 years. Some of the villages are still held as revenue free estate (Jagirs) of the Raja of Skardu. Up to 1722 Astor was directly ruled from Skardu. For more details the following paragraph has been reproduced from the Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu 1909.
“The history of Astor, as the Dogra called it Hasora, is intimately connected with that of Skardu. More than 300 years ago Ghazi Makpun, a Persian adventurer, is said to have married, a princess of Skardu reigning family. The four sons born of this union became Ras of Skardu, Astor, Rundo, and Kharmang respectively and from them are the descended of the families of the present chiefs of those places. The independence of Astor ceased at the Dogra conquest. The present titular Raja of Astor is the lineal descendent of Ghazi Makpun.”
From the time of Shah Sultan the first Makpun Raja of Astor it became an independent principality with its own Raja (Fig 2.). During this period relations with Skardu were amicable. Nevertheless, according to Moorcroft and Trebeck “the Raja was nominally subject to Ahmad Shah, and assisted him, not long before, to repel a predatory attack of the Afghans.”
This long rule of the Baltis had a profound affect on the culture and traditions of Astoris. There are many villages that are predominantly occupied by Baltis. Few of these villages existed before 1847. The expansion of Sikhs towards the west from Kashmir and subsequently occupation of Skardu by them ceased the independence of Astor.

Fig 2: Genealogy of the Raja of Astor

Sources: Hashmatullah Khan 1937; Drew 1875; Gazetteer of Jammu & Kashmir 1909.

Astor Under Sikh Rule 1819 to 1846

During this period up to 1819 it was independently ruled by the local Rajas. When the Sikhs occupied Kashmir, Astor became tributary to them without sending any force there. In the meantime Wazir Lakpat, in compliance with the orders of Gulab Singh, conquered Skardu and attacked on Astor and took away the Raja of the latter as a prisoner. But this action of Gulab Singh was disliked by the Lahore authorities and directed him not to interfere with Astor and thus the Raja was sent back and reinstated. The Sikhs practically occupied Astor territory in the year 1842. This was the time when Shah Sikander, a ruler of the Tarkhani dynasty of Gilgit approached the Sikhs darbar for military help to take his brothers' revenge, who was killed by Gaur Aman. Thus while on their way to Gilgit the Sikhs army occupied Astor and established their strongholds at strategic places. With this attempt of Sikhs the rule of Makpun family ended and the then Raja of Astor became a titular one.

Astor Under Dogra Rule (1847 to 1947)

In the aftermath of the treaty of Amritsar; March 16, 1846; British sold Kashmir to the Rajput Raja of Jammu and Kashmir; Gulab Singh for 75,000 Rupees. As a result the study area came under the rule of Dogras and who stepped into the shoes of Sikhs. It was practically occupied by the former in the year 1852 while on their mission to Chilas. Since then Astor valley remained in their control for a century, as a Tahsil of the Gilgit Wazarat, up to the independence of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. In the last decade of the 19th century due to British interest in this region the strategic importance of Astor valley increased many folds. Although during this period, most of the time the whole region remained under a dual controls or 'diarchy'.
With the Dogra occupation and extension of their domain to the right-bank of the Indus the sufferings of the local inhabitants considerably increased. The land revenue, in the form of cash and kind, was imposed without proper assessment. The carriage of food and military equipments over the difficult mountain passes from Jammu and Kashmir on the way to Gilgit was one of the major problems. Almost all the work was done through forced labour and the inhabitants were treated as a beast of burden and during the summer season they were usually on Gilgit-Bandipur road and carrying the load on their back. Moreover, the villagers were also entrusted to feed the touring officials. For this purpose localities along the whole length of the road from Burzil/Karmi pass to Bunji were divided among the villages as a collective responsibility.
In the meantime the efforts to get supremacy in this region by the then super powers, Great Britain and Russia which culminated to the famous ‘Great Game’ in the nineteen century increased the importance of the whole area known to the foreigners at that time as ‘Dardistan’ in general and the study area in particular. This interest of the British resulted in the establishment of the Gilgit Agency as an outpost to command, control and safeguard the western passes of the Hindu Kush, which were of fundamental importance for them to check and stop the Russian expansion towards India. Consequently this region also attracted the attention of travellers and other missions and thus opened the area to the foreigners. It resulted in the exploration and collection of basic information about the people their history and way of life for the first time in their history. Meanwhile the British also conducted detailed topographical and cadastral mapping of the region including the study area for defensive purposes and revenue collection.
To facilitate the travellers, government officials/explorers and oversee the political developments along the western passes of the Hindu Kush, Gilgit Agency was established in the year 1877. Major Biddulph was appointed as a political agent. The headquarter of this agency was placed at Gilgit and the major task given to the political agent was to develop bilateral relations with the surrounding principalities such as Hunza, Nagar, Punial, Ghizer and Chitral. The exploration and other political development were in progress and the political agent had made tremendous development in a relatively short period of time. However, this agency was withdrawn within three years. Though most of the travellers and other officials travelled via Astor valley, nevertheless, the establishment as well as the withdrawal of the agency has very little impact on the study area. It is because of the fact that Astor was under the rule of Dogras and they were facilitating the British at that time. The latter were dependent on the facilities of the former and the role of the agency and its officials were not properly and formally defined. Moreover, the Dogras were not happy with the British advancement across the Indus River. This has already reflected in the treacherous murder of the British explorer George Hayward at Yasin in 1871.
However, the British government has changed her decision in less than a decade and Gilgit Agency was re-established in the year 1889 following the recommendation of Colonel Alegernon Durand and he himself was appointed as a political agent at Gilgit. This in the long run proved a landmark in the social changes and economic development of Astor valley. Meanwhile large numbers of forces regular and irregular were kept in the agency for the defence of the area. To improve communication between Gilgit and Kashmir, the Gilgit Srinagar road was improved in this period and was made feasible for camel throughout its length from Srinagar, Bandipur via, Burzil pass (14000 f) and Astor to Gilgit at the cost of 15 lacks Rupees. (Table 1 and Fig 1)
Total length of this road from Srinagar to Gilgit was 233 miles. This distance was covered by the Maharajah forces and travellers in more or less 22 marches, on the average 10.16 miles per march. Out of 22 marches or stages only nine or ten were falling within the territorial limits of Astor valley. From Gurez onward up to Gorikote, the present headquarter of the district, this road was forked into two, one was via Kamri pass and the other was via Burzil pass. The former was shorter than the latter but the latter was easy to cross even in winter season and also opens one month earlier and closes one month later than the former. However, the Burzil pass was exclusively used for the transport of the commodities for the military.

Table 1:   Route 9 From Srinagar To Gilgit (A) Alternate Route From Srinagar To Gilgit (B)

1 Stage, 2 Number, 3 Height above sea level (ft.) 4 Distance from the last stage (miles)
Many developmental projects were under taken during this period. To increase the local food/fodder production area under plough were increased through the extension of existing irrigation channels and construction of new irrigation schemes. Consequently, throughout the study area considerable acerage of cultivable waste were ameliorated. At Bunji to cross the Indus the exiting ferry service was improved and then a permanent bridge was constructed over the river in the year 1912. On the Srinagar Gilgit road, inns (sarais) and rest houses were constructed at suitable places. In normal case the rest houses were built at a distance of every 33 kilometres. It is one-day march on horseback. The villages located near these rest houses were assigned the duty to supply the provisions to the travellers and officials on tour. This, along with other duties like the transportation of food and other necessary belongings for the army and other officials and allotment of land free of revenue (Jagirs) to the dethroned rulers, increased the forced labour (Kar-e-begar) many fold. In the meantime some of the basic facilities were also extended to this area from Kashmir like: telephone, telegraph and regular mail services. These activities and function provided off-farm job opportunities to the inhabitants of the area for the first time in the history.
During the reign of Partab Singh (1885-1925) land settlement was also completed. It was for the first time in the history that land revenue was levelled on the inhabitants based on comprehensive land assessment. For this purpose many criteria were adopted, including height from the sea level, soil fertility, aspect and water availability. Land revenue was payable to the state in both cash and kind, because of need of the state. After the land settlement cultivable land surrounding the villages in the valley was divided into revenue states called 'Mouza'. Boundaries for the Mouza were demarcated and cultivable land was allotted to the individual households, with the status of permanent tenants with inheritance right. Water for irrigation was also distributed accordingly. Pastures; both high and low altitude; and forest were allotted to the Mouza, as a communal land. The right of utilization of these resources were and still are equal to all the residents or landowner of the Mouza irrespective of their clan and arrival in the village. In this way if any body buys a piece of land in any Mouza other than his own; he can utilizes the communal resources of that Mouza. This is one of the reasons that some people from the low altitude villages are buying land in the villages located on high altitudes. In the meantime after land settlement the extension of the cultivated land was regularized by law. It was made obligatory to take prior permission from the government for the extension of cultivated area and reclamation of the cultivable waste. This to the some extent regularized the expension of cultivated land.

This period brought a lot of changes in Astor valley. In addition to the provision of few basic facilities including hospital, telephone and school the livelihood structure of the local inhabitants also changed to a greater extent. The improvement of Gigilt-Badipur road not only facilitated communication and contact with Kashmir but also provided new job opportunities for the local inhabitants. The link between this valley and Kashmir increased considerably. Moreover, the position of Astor valley totally changed as a main supplier of commodities to the whole northern areas of Pakistan. Most of the explorers used this road on their way to Gilgit and Chitral. The number of ambulant trader and people involved in carriage business tremendously increased. The importance of Astor as a business centre can be easily judged from the fact that in 1888 outside Kashmir there was three bazaars in the northern mountainous belt one at Astor, one at Gilgit and one at Chitral. Consequently job opportunities in state services and off-farm sectors also increased considerably.
This development is reflected in the establishment of new villages in the valley, particularly in the sub-valleys leading to the southern passes. Moreover, job opportunities in the carriage activity and the state policy of colonization of agricultural land also attracted people from the surrounding areas. Most of these people settled in the valleys close to the passes leading to Kashmir i.e. Dass Kirim and Kala Pani Valleys. Additionally to efficiently carry out the state responsibilities of Kar-e-begar etc. many households also invited their relatives. The state also provided loans for the purchase of ponies for the transportation of food and other commodities from Kashmir. Nevertheless, there were some negative impacts of this as well. Most of the households were poor and unable to pay the land revenue and therefore, the state debt on the household increased considerably. Both forced labour, overexploited taxation system annoyed the local inhabitants. As a result compared to other localities in the northern mountainous belt the inhabitants of this valley suffered considerably.
Astor Valley enjoyed this position till late 1890s. However, in the late 1890s it became possible to travel directly to Gilgit from Rawalpindi without having to pass through Srinagar by means of a new road (not suitable, however, for wheeled traffic) which followed the Kaghan valley up to the Babusar pass and then descended to the Indus at Chilas. Nevertheless, in the administrative report of Gilgit Agency for the year 1935 the importance of Kaghan valley road was highlighted as a major link between India and Gilgit and recommendations were made for the repair and reconstruction of bridges.

Astor After Independence from 1947 till to-Date

Another change in the political set up and historical development of the study area was the division of the Indian empire into two separate sovereign states, Pakistan and India, in the year 1947. This has also its impacts on the area under study because of the still unresolved Kashmir problem. According to the partition plan, Kashmir was supposed to be part of Pakistan because of Muslims majority, but the non-Muslim ruler acceded to India without the consent of the masses.
After partition apparently, for a while, this area under study economically suffered from the cease-fire line that later became the line of control. The government of Pakistan sent food supplies in the very first year after partition to Astor. The inhabitants of the northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan region) liberated this region in the year 1948 after a very tough struggle. They unconditionally joined Pakistan. This not only changed the political system and administratives status of the area but also substantially transformed the socio-economic conditions of the inhabitants. The old source region for food supply was separated and the passes towards the south of the study area lost their importance. This was a major setback to Astor valley. Before 1947, this valley was dependent on Kashmir due to its location on the main thoroughfare to the northern areas. Now, the source region for the supply of the exogenous food and other necessities changed from Kahmir to Punjab plain and the road was also shifted to the south via Chilas through the Babusar pass.
This deprivation of location, which was created by the Kashmir problem, was fully compensated by the government of Pakistan through the extension of development projects and creation of new departments to look after the on going developmental activities. The provisions of basic facilities were also extended to the far off areas. In this regard, two steps of the government played a pivotal role in changing the study area as well as the whole region. One of these was the abolition of land revenue and dethroning of the local rulers, which has been done by the government in 1974. The second step was the decision to extend the subsidized food to the inhabitants of the region. The later one was much improved with the construction of the Karakoram High Way in the late 1970s and the extension of link roads to the side valleys.
These development projects changed the life and livelihood of the inhabitants of the study area. On the one hand the local inhabitants were provided more off-farm jobs and on the other hand the areas became more accessible. A truckable road from Karakoram High Way to Astor is already completed. As a result about 90% of all the permanent settlements became accessible to motorized traffic and more than 80% of the total villages are electrified. Basic facilities were also provided to all the villages based on their population. Settlements having only 18 households has been provided with a primary school and large villages having middle and high schools with the higher secondary school in the main centre. Basic health facilities including first aid posts and dispensaries in small villages and hospital in the main centre of the valley have been established. In the livestock sector veterinary dispensaries are functioning in all the main villages with a veterinary hospital in the centre. Looking to the development trend with another angle to compare it with the Dogra period it is argued that during that regime from 1851 to 1947 the people, in most of the cases were unable to pay the land revenue (Archives of the Revenue Department Astor). Now the per capita income of the individual household member has increased to Rs. 4360. This is mostly the result of the latest change in the political setup in the form of independence and more off-farm jobs that were provided by the government of Pakistan.
Since 1993 some of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are also busy in providing the basic facilities and taking part in the development process. Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) is one of the non-governmental organizations, which is actively working in the northern areas of Pakistan. The main objective of this NGO is to achieve self-sufficiency at village level through the judicious use of available natural resources. Working under the principle of public participation, this organization filled the gap created by the dethroning of the local rulers. These NGOs are helping the community in the provision of productive physical infrastructure. The main physical infrastructure projects are link roads, micro-hydels and irrigation channels.

Conclusion

From this study it is evident that how geographical location and changes in political set up have transformed the lives and livelihood of the inhabitants of the study area. The political interests of the then super powers and the strategic significance of the passes of the Hindu Kush had played a major role in the decision-making and extension of basic facilities into this far flung area. For more than a century this valley under study played as a major thoroughfare for most part of the present Gilgit-Baltistan region and Chitral. However, in 1947 the division of Indian subcontinent into two sovereign states with Kashmir dispute had a drastic impact on this valley. The southern passes were totally closed and with the passage of time the Kaghan Valley road through Babusar pass and later on the Karakorum High Way were constructed and thus the source region for supply changed. Astor valley became a typical cul-de-sac. Nevertheless, the changing position of the cease-fire line into control line also enhanced the geo-political importance of this valley. The government line agencies as well as NGOs are working here for the construction of basic facilities and physical infrastructure. Administrative reforms were also underway and in 2004 Astor has been upgraded to a district.

References

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Fazlur-Rahman, [2005]: Historical Development and Settlement Process in Astor Valley, Northern Areas of Pakistan. In Peshawar University Teachers’ Association Journal (PUTAJ) , no.12.
Fazlur-Rahman, [2009]: Population Growth and Sustainability of Common Property Resource Management Systems in the Eastern Hindu Kush: The Use of Communal Fodder Resources (Prangos Pabularia)in Mehlp Valley, Chitral, North Pakistan. In Journal of Mountain Science no. 6(4)
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Figure: 1 Map Showing Astor Valley, Settlements and Stages along Srinagar–Gilgit Route