The grandeur of the Royal Fort returning after the election of the Head of Royal House of Katur to provincial assembly
CHITRAL: The grandeur and hustle and bustle of the royal fort of the olden days has started to return to the Royal Fort of Chitral following the election of the ceremonial Mehtar (ruler of the formerly Chitral state) and head of the Royal House of Katur, Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir as member of provincial assembly from the district in the February 8 general elections with a thumping majority.
The royal fort built in the 18th century and rebuilt by the longest serving Mehtar Sir Shujaul Mulk (1895 to 1936) of Katur dynasty, had lost its attraction for the general public after merger of the state in 1969 and the induction of the incumbent Mehtar Saiful Mulk Nasir to Foreign Service of Pakistan and his postings abroad.
Due to the sojourn of the Mehtar for long time in foreign countries, the relation of the public with the Royal Fort went on fading away although the Mehtar was still held in high esteem by them.
The coronation of the incumbent Mehtar Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir on 20th October 2011 at the age of 18 years after the demise of his father proved a starting point to reconnect the knot between the royal family and the people and it was strengthened when he returned from abroad after getting the degrees of LL.B. (Hons) from University of Buckingham and LL.M. from the University of Miami in 2020.
He started mass contact in 2022 when joined Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf and announced to contest election for provincial assembly seat from Chitral and his success in the elections has re-established and revived the vital connection between the royal family and the common men.
His marriage with the great-granddaughter of the whilom President of Pakistan Muhammad Ayub Khan, was yet another milestone in his political career as his father-in-law Akbar Ayub Khan is one of the founding members of PTI.
A courteous and soft-spoken Mehtar Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir has magnetic powers to attract the friends and foes alike whom he comes in contact and this trait of his personality is a catalyst for the reconnection of the royal fort and the common people.
Farooq Alam Jan, a cultural figure, said that the fort is an historical place as the chronology of the local history revolved around it while it also served as the centre of cultural, social and religious activities as the monarchs kept no distance with the common people.
He said that the royal fort is slowly growing to be the hub where people from all nooks and corners of the district come to meet the local MPA, also Mehtar in connection with their needs as a result of which the movement of the people has increased to the fort.
Shah Murad Baig, a local intellectual having a grasp on history, said that the era of 1930s and 40s seems to be returning to the once desolated fort when the dynasty was at the peak of its strength, splendor and magnificence.
“The pomp and show of the fort will jump to its zenith if the ceremonial Mehtar is inducted into the provincial cabinet that will bring the maximum number of people into contact with the royal fort due to the official protocol and strength of a provincial minister”, he said.
