The executive body has asked me to write a message for IPN as the Executive Director of this little but growing organization. Keeping in view the hardships faced, the type of society we are living in, the habits and mentality we as the citizens of Pakistan are having and above all the behavior and attitude of the agencies we are bound to interact, I don’t have sound enough words to organize them and present here. However, I cannot decline the request of the executive body who has suffered a lot in this journey with me over the past few years since the inception of this organization back in 2012.
The need for the establishment of IPN was felt when we needed to organize our work on research on the languages and cultures of Northern Pakistan, our individual and joint efforts to increase the literacy rate in Kohistan in particular and in KP in general, to raise our voices against our marginalization, violation of our rights, lack of basic amenities of life, suppression and aggression upon the minorities and further marginalized groups as well as vulnerable groups including women and children, denial to get our constitutional linguistic and ethnic rights and above all having no or delayed justice meaning justice denied. Thus, in order to organize all these activities and to give them a legal cover, IPN was established.
Kohistan in particular and rural KP in general are highly marginalized when it comes to the extension of state owned services, lack of basic amenities of life in these areas, discrimination in the delivery of services and budgetary allocation as well as neglect from the majority and powerful ethnic groups, have confronted the indigenous and marginalized people living in rural KP stretched from Chitral to Kohistan in KP with lots of issues, problems, concerns, deprivations and hardships. This entire scenario coupled with our desire and commitment to contribute towards the society for the common welfare, establishment and presence of an impartial, non-for Profit and non-governmental organization was direly felt and hence IPN came into being.
Last but not the least, let me take this opportunity to make an appeal to all those good minds and hearts who want to play their respective roles for humanity, humans, and people of Pakistan dwelling in the mountainous ranges of Karakuram, Himalaya and Hindukush, they can use IPN as a responsible, professional, accountable organization with committed and hardworking professional team of workers both paid and volunteers.
Let me urge you that together we can and together we must make a difference in the larger interests of ethnic and linguistic minorities, indigenous and marginalized citizens of Pakistan living in the mountainous ranges. Let's raise our hands in front of Almighty Allah for giving us the courage and patience to face all the challenges and hardships in mitigating the problems and issues of these people and to bless us with honesty, fair play, good will, optimism, spirit of teamwork & collectivism and above all spirit of serving the humanity at large. AMEEN.
