CHATORKHAND VALLEY

Ishkoman is a high mountain valley in the Hindukush and Karakorummountains, in the northwest region ofGilgit in the Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan. Ishkoman is connected to the Yasin Valley and Chipursan (in Gojal Hunza) valley by a high mountain pass.

The ownership of Ishkoman has changed hands several times over the years. It has been under the rule of the Mehtar of Chitral, the Maharaja of Kashmir, or the Raja of Punyal at different times in the past. Although sparsely populated, Ishkoman was important because it leads to a high mountain pass, to Yarkhun in Chitral, and then to Broghol Pass, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan, and into Tajikistan.

During British rule, the government was concerned that Ishkoman could have formed an invasion route from Czarist Russia into India.

The major villages in Ishkoman include Chatorkhand, Pakora, Barjungle, Immit, Iskoman, Dain, Bilhanz and Borth.

The primary language of Ishkoman area is the Khowar language. The Wakhi language, Burushaski language and the Shina language are also spoken. Brushaski language is spoken in Chatorkhand Pakora and Barjungle . Most of the Burusho people living in Chatorkhand, Pakora and Barjungle have migrated from various villages of Hunza Valley. While Khowar is spoken in Chatorkhand , Dain, Pakora, SHunas and Wakhi language, which is also spoken in Gojal Hunza, is spoken in Northern Ishkoman Immit, Bilhanz , Borth, Mujaver.

With the arrival of Tajik's from neighbouring Tajikistan, a sizeable number of the population speaks Tajik as well, they have migrated mostly due to better economic conditions in Pakistan and have set up numerous shops and colonies in Ishkoman .