Islamabad: Pakistan’s acclaimed filmmaker and adventurer Wajahat Malik is all set to launch river rafting of the Indus starting, the entire length of it right from Olding (Baltistan) all the way down to Karachi (Sindh). The 3,000-km river course passes through rough terrain around the northern and the western sides of the Nanga Parbat in gorges that reach depths of 17000 feet.
This is going to be the first-ever rafting exploration of the Indus River and according to Wajahat Malik the ‘Indus Exhibition’ will be a landmark expedition not only in terms of natural conservation, but also in identifying sustainable tourism sites along the path of the river.
The participating team that includes Farman Ahmed, ABM Faisal, Saneef Jameel, Inzamamullah and Wajahat Malik will have a parallel crew that will travel on road with logistics and other support. The 45-day experience will not only prove an adventure of lifetime, it will also provide latest footage of the entire river, and highlight issues such as threats to the river by rampant constructions, the birds that visit its different parts on highlands as well as plain rivers, its waters being polluted by rampant urbanization and construction, etc.
Huge potential for rafting
In short, Malik said the rafting expedition will provide all you want to learn about the mighty Indus. He said Pakistan, like mountain hiking, had immense potential in the rafting sport as well. Our rivers Swat, Chitral and Naran with their risky and narrow courses provide immense scope for this world popular water sport.
“The Indus,” he said is fed by mighty glaciers on the slopes of the Karakoram Range, the Nanga Parbat massif, and the Kohistan highlands and contours around the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province then enters the plains of Punjab and finally culminates in the Arabian Sea.
Adventure Diplomacy Initiative
A local hotel, Serena Hotels, is sponsoring the ‘Expedition Indus’ under its ‘Adventure Diplomacy Initiative’ that aims at fostering adventure sports in the country and providing a supportive environment for the nation’s talented sportspeople to flourish. At the send-off reception Wajahat announced his departure for the North of Pakistan in the third week of March, any day next week.
A tourism-friendly initiative
The “Expedition Indus” will also identify sustainable tourism sites along the path of the river, said Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam while addressing the send-off ceremony and appreciated the Serena Hotels for supporting this unique initiative.
When asked, Wajahat Malik said he had rafting experience in Nepal while in documentaries and expedition films, he has done a number of them under his Eyebex Film and also for other channels. Some well-known productions include ‘Adventure Unlimited’ for the state TV (Pakistan Television), ‘Surfing the Northern Frontier’ for National Geographic channel, ‘Rickshaw Diary’ for PTV, and ‘Adventure Europe’ again for PTV.
