The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has drafted a new law to establish a special endowment fund dedicated to the cultural and social development of the Kalash community.
Officials confirmed that the proposed Kalash Community Endowment Fund Act 2025 is now ready in draft form and aims to create a protected financial pool strengthened through planned investments.
Under the draft, the government will set up the fund with an initial capital of 100mn rupees. The fund will support long-term initiatives designed to preserve the distinctive traditions, heritage, and social structures of the Kalash people, one of Pakistan’s most unique indigenous communities.
The draft places the fund under the administrative control of a specially formed committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Lower Chitral. The committee will actively supervise planning, spending, and investment decisions to ensure transparency and accountability.
According to the document, the committee will include the Additional Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Planning, a Grade-17 representative from the Auqaf Department, the District Health Officer of Chitral, and the Assistant Director of Local Government for Lower Chitral. To ensure genuine representation, the government will also include four qazis from the Kalash community, one woman qazi, and the Tehsil Municipal Officer of Drosh.
Officials said the fund will expand over time through additional allocations and contributions, enabling the province to support cultural programmes, community welfare, and initiatives aimed at protecting the Kalash way of life.
The government is positioning the fund as a long-term institutional mechanism that strengthens cultural identity while empowering one of the region’s smallest yet most historically rich communities.
