The neglected gali
The picturesque Nagri Totial is waiting to be explored and developed for tourism
By Moeed Ur Rehman
The entire Hazara division of NWFP enthrals one with beautiful spots but the galiyat belt is no match – the lush green hills of the valleys attract visitors all year round.
The galiyat belt includes Nathiagali, Changla gali, Barrian, Koza gali, Dunga gali, Ayyubia and Seer Gharbi of district Abbottabad. Nagri Totial is one such gali.
Nagri Totial, the home of Dhoond Abbasids of Hazara Division (NWFP), is situated in the south-east of Abbottabad, with its eastern border meeting Ghoora gali in Murree. At an elevation of 4,081 feet, with colourful iron rooftops, green plains and lofty trees, this valley is a neglected paradise.
The valley gave birth to several notables who were in the forefront of the country’s political and administrative slots, especially in the creation of Pakistan. The first Muslim provincial minister in the British days, Khan Bahadur Abdul Rehman, hailed from here. He played a vital role in the famous referendum of NWFP in which the people of Hazara voted in favour of Pakistan. He was the member of the executive council of Pakistan Muslim League and known to be a friend of Quiad-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Lora, the town closest to Nagri Totial, is a mini-headquarter of dozens of union councils. It has a police station, a town hospital and a college for boys. Lora has a bus station, and vehicles for adjacent villages can be hired from this station.
Jeeps or taxis can be hired easily from Lora to reach Nagri Totial. After a 20-minute-drive, after crossing the beautiful bridge on river Haroo, one finally enters the lush green, picturesque valley. The road to the valley is metalled yet bumpy at places.
Dozens of Hindus and Sikhs lived in the valley along with Muslims before the partition. The remains of the chamber fall, where the Hindus used to burn their dead bodies, still exist. “We lived together in peace and harmony. But soon after the creation of Pakistan, Hindus and Sikhs left the valley. The villagers provided them a safe escape,” says Mohammad Nasim Qammar, a retired school teacher and a notable of the area.
Majority of the Nagri Totial inhabitants (about 3,000 of them) are from the Totialian branch of the Dhond Abbasi tribe while Gujar, Chaudhary, Syed, Awan, and Mehmood Khanies are the other tribes living in the valley. Most of the villagers live a simple life. There is one high school for boys and one middle school for girls. The people, however, are not satisfied with the standard of two primary schools. “Most of the teachers are absent. They are paid for sitting at homes,” says a local Javed Iqbal.
Medical facility is nonexistent. The only BHU, located in the midst of a jungle, is in a deplorable condition.
Two katcha (unmetalled) roads lead to Nagri Totial, which link it with Abbottabad through Barian and another to Abbottabad through the famous Mari range. “Millions of rupees have been wasted on these roads yet they have not been completed,” says Yasir Akhtar Abbasi, a social worker of the area.
Most of the houses are built with cement and have iron sheet roofs to save them from heavy rain and snowfall. They all have electricity and water connection.
The main natural stream called Harrow meanders through the valley, where young boys swim and frolic. “The famous forest bungalow (Dak bungalow) near Patian was constructed by the British forest administrators who paid regular visits to the area,” says Javed Iqbal. “They were the official guests of Khan Bahadur Abdul Rehman Khan who was the then provincial minister.” The founder of Abbottabad also visited the area before the partition.
Dhoond Abbasies migrated to the valley in 1700 A.D. The carving in Persian on the famous mosque situated in Sehr, a sub village of Nagri Totial, confirms that the mosque was built by chief of Mehmood Khani tribe in 1700 A.D. “The mosque is the oldest in the entire valley and the script carved on the wooden door shows that the valley was dominated by Muslims,” says Javed Iqbal Rehmani, a local journalist. Unfortunately, the administrators of the mosque have covered the original carving with paint, still it is partially visible.