Photo Story (English)

This is Bostan, a quiet village nestled in the rugged mountains, about 30 kilometers from Quetta, Balochistan. This snowy afternoon, the village is blanketed in a harsh winter silence, with the wind carrying flurries of snow through the air. Surrounded by towering mountains and rough terrain, the village’s mud and wood homes stand resilient, though isolated from modern comforts like electricity and gas, which we often take for granted.

In these unforgiving winters, where temperatures drop to -7.2°C, life in Bostan is an ongoing struggle, a daily test of resilience. The people here face challenges that many can barely imagine, surviving without the basic amenities of city life. Here, warmth comes from makeshift wood stoves, and families huddle together for warmth under roofs that hold back the biting cold just barely.

This image isn’t just a scene of snow-covered homes; it’s a testament to the strength of the people who call this place home. Their spirit and courage are woven into the fabric of these remote mountains, reminding us of lives lived far from the convenience and ease of urban existence, where survival is both a struggle and a source of profound pride.

Photographer’s Reflection (English)

While driving from Ziarat back to Quetta, the car was warm with the heater on, and music playing softly in the background. Outside, the world was freezing, blanketed in snowwith temperatures as low as -7.2°C. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this village, sitting against the mountain’s mighty shadow, seemingly untouched by modern life.

I stopped the car, grabbed my camera and tripod, and started walking toward the village. The biting cold hit me hard, making every step feel heavier. But as I got closer, I saw the simple mud and wooden homes. I couldn’t help but wonder how these people live here in such harsh conditions, without electricity, without gas — essentials that we don’t think twice about.

Capturing this moment was my way of sharing their resilience with the world. My hope is that through this image, people can understand and feel the strength of those who survive in these unforgiving mountains, where every day is a battle against nature, and yet, life goes on with unwavering determination.

This is a moment that reminds us of the resilience of this village nestled in Balochistan’s mountains, where life goes on without the concept of ease or luxury. Surrounded by snow and cold, this village stands as a living testament to the courage and spirit of its people.

Arbab Naimat Kasi

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Photo Story (Urdu)

Yeh Bostan hai, ek khamosh gaon jo Balochistan ke pehlo mein Quetta se lagbhag 30 kilometer ke faaslay par basa hua hai. Barf se ghira hua yeh gaon sardiyon ke is dopehar mein ek khamoshi mein chhupa hai, aur hawa mein barf ke zaray idhar-udhar ghoom rahe hain. Baray baray pahadon aur sakht zameen ke darmiyan, mitti aur jharo se bane in logon ke ghar mazbooti se kharay hain, lekin bijli aur gas jese shehri sahulaton se bilkul mehroom hain.

In sakht sardi ke in dinon mein, , jab darja-e-hararat -7.2°C tak gir jata hai, Bostan mein zindagi aik azmaish ban jati hai, aik rozana ka imtehaan. Yahan ke log woh mushkilein bardasht karte hain jo bohot se log soch bhi nahi sakte. Inke gharon mein garmahat lakri ke chhote chhote angithon se aati hai, aur parivaar ek dusre ke paas bait kar garmahat mehsos karte hain, jo mushkil se sard hawa ko rok paati hai.

Yeh tasveer sirf barf se dhakay gharon ka manzar nahi hai; yeh un logon ke hoslay ka saboot hai jo yahan rehte hain. Inka jazba aur himmat in door-daraz pahadon ki tehqiqat mein bas chuki hai, aur humein yaad dilati hai ke shehr ki sahulaton ke baghair yahan log kis tarha se apni zindagi guzaarte hain, jahan zinda rehna aik mushkil bhi hai aur aik fakhar bhi.

Photographer’s Reflection (Urdu)

Ziarat se Quetta wapas aate waqt, gaari mein heater on tha aur halke se music ki awaaz chal rahi thi. Bahar duniya barf se lipti hui thi, aur darja-e-hararat -7.2°C tak gir chuka tha. Lekin achanak meri nazar is gaon par pari jo baray pahadon ke saaye mein chup gaya tha, jese ke yeh modern zindagi se bilkul alag ho.

Maine gaari roki, camera aur tripod liya aur gaon ki taraf chal diya. Sard hawa ne meri haddi haddi ko sun kar diya, lekin jaise hi main kareeb pohoncha toh yeh mitti aur jharo se bane ghar dekhe. Mere zehan mein sawaal aaya ke yeh log is sakht sardi mein kaise jeetay hain, bina bijli aur bina gas ke — woh cheezen jo shehr mein aam si hain.

Is lamhe ko capture karna mere liye inki zindagi aur hoslay ko duniya tak pohnchane ka tareeqa tha. Umeed hai ke is tasveer ke zariye log in pahadon mein jeene wale logon ki taqat aur unki himmat ko mehsoos kar sakenge, jahan roz marra ek jang hai aur phir bhi zindagi puri shiddat ke saath chalte rehti hai.

"Yeh aik lamha hai jo humein Balochistan ke pahadon mein basay is gaon ki mazbooti yaad dilata hai, jahan zindagi aise guzarti hai jese kisi aasani ya luxury ka koi concept hi nahi. Baraf aur sardi mein ghira yeh gaon wahaan ke logon ke jazbe aur himmat ka zinda suboot hai."

Arbab Naimat Kasi