ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: The Development Communications Network (DEVCOM) along with partner organisations took the initiative to launch the Pakistan Mountain Festival in Islamabad.

The festival contained a range of activities centred around commemorating the 10th International Mountain Day.

The events began with the opening of the Youth Art and Mountain Art and Craft Exhibition, at the Pakistan National Council of Arts on Monday, which would continue till a closing ceremony to be held on December 12.

A  Youth Seminar, titled ‘Mountains and Forests are Our Life’ was held on Tuesday, where experts and students came together to discuss the necessity of preserving the mountains of Pakistan and the integral roles that individuals, communities and organisations play in this endeavour.

Speaking at the youth seminar, Dr Nafisa Shah, chairperson of the National Commission on Human Development, said: “We have started facing the adverse effects of climate change and need to equip communities with right information and knowledge to cope with the challenges.”

She added that the environment and climate change are part of the highest level of political concern and vested interests and we need to understand this and act accordingly. She stated that fast depleting natural resources of the highlands have affected the livelihoods of poor communities downstream and in turn negatively impacted the Gross National Product.

Students from different universities from across Pakistan also spoke on the occasion, representing the KPK Agricultural University, NARC University, Nust and the Karakorum International University, Gilgit.

The seminar was followed by outdoor youth activities at Trail 3 on the Margalla Hills.

Mr Munir Ahmed, Director DEVCOM-Pakistan, opened the afternoon activities by speaking of the purpose behind such awareness raising activities and the hope that the individuals present would be inspired to engage in the preservation of our environment and natural resources.

The event was attended by Mr Nazir Sabir, a Pakistani mountaineer of international renown, who hails from Gojal, in the northern part of Hunza. He is the only Pakistani to have climbed Mount Everest and the highest peaks in Pakistan, including K2.

He also served as the political representative for Hunza in the Northern Area Legislative Council and as an Adviser on Education and Tourism for Northern Areas.

Mr Sabir spoke at length about the honour that Pakistan has in being the custodians of some of the most magnificent mountains in the world.

He mentioned also that Islamabad as the capital is particularly beautiful with the Margalla Hills with its richness in bird species and other wildlife bordering it.

Her Excellency, Ambassador Cecilie Landsverk of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, inaugurated the outdoor activities and shared her pleasure at being invited to participate in the event. She said that Pakistan is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it is imperative to preserve the natural beauty. She also said that climate change is a matter of grave concern and the forests and mountains of the world allow us to maintain our quality of life.

She mentioned that in Norway they lived very close to nature and she particularly enjoyed participating in outdoor activities in Islamabad.

The participants present for the outdoor activities proceeded to traverse Trail 3, only to return in time for the festivities of the evening.

The Mountain Music Night was held at PNCA and featured diverse artists such as Daulat Wali Baig, Rahbar Khan, Khan Abdul Rehman, Manzoor Ali, Tahir Zaman, Benazir and so on.

The singers and local artists from the various regions of the north performed in their indigenous languages, mainly Shina, a Kohistani language, Burushaski of the Burusho people, Wakhi from the Gilgit-Baltistan region, Balti, Pahari and Khowar from Chitral.

The closing ceremony on December 12 marks the end of the Festival for this year but the organisers and many of the participants expressed the hope that the event would be replicated by other local communities and organisations, as the purpose of the Festival was to raise awareness and encourage the youth to become aware of their natural heritage.