Chilas and the Diamer Valleys: A Remote Route to Welfare Support

Chilas lies on the Karakoram Highway in a hot, rocky bowl of the Indus, famous for its ancient rock carvings and as the gateway to Babusar Top and the Fairy Meadows road. It is the headquarters of Diamer, a district of side valleys such as Darel, Tangir, Thor, Niat and Hodur, where many families live far from paved roads. Someone who types NGO in Chilas into a phone is usually hoping to find help that does not require a long journey.

Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO) can take that request, though it keeps no office, centre or employee in Chilas or anywhere in Diamer. Its one and only office is in Larkana, Sindh. People apply online, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or through a volunteer, and pay nothing. Every application is verified and weighed. Help is arranged when the need is real and within reach; no outcome is guaranteed.

Diamer District: people and learning

Diamer is the most populous district of Gilgit-Baltistan after Gilgit. It had 337,329 residents in the 2023 Census, up from 269,772 in 2017, a yearly growth of 3.79 percent, across 7,234 square kilometres (GB at a Glance 2025, a GB planning department handbook).

The same report records a literacy rate of 30.95 percent, by far the lowest in the region, and a gender parity index in literacy of 34.5, which means very few women can read compared with men. Households average around eight people, with 41,536 households counted. Shina is the main language, and Urdu is understood in town.

Those two figures matter for anyone trying to help. A form full of written questions is a real barrier in a district where most adults, and most women especially, never went to school. That is why a relative or volunteer can help type the request for you.

Why many Diamer families struggle

Low schooling limits earning. Many men work as labourers, drivers or in small trade along the highway, and income depends on traffic and the seasons. Summer in Chilas is fiercely hot, while the upper valleys are snowbound in winter, so work is uneven through the year.

The Water and Power Development Authority is building the Diamer-Bhasha Dam near Chilas. Such a large project brings land acquisition, resettlement and new jobs, and families affected by it sometimes have questions about documents and compensation that they want explained.

Hospitals are scarce outside Chilas, and girls’ schools are few in some valleys. Landslides and flash floods also block the highway at times; national alerts come from the NDMA. Food, medical bills and children’s schooling are therefore the needs most likely to be raised.

Getting in touch with an NGO in Chilas without travelling

Use the Request help page, or message PHWO from your free PHWO account. Explain your family’s situation plainly: how many people live at home, who earns and how, and what you need most right now. PHWO asks for a live photo of the applicant. Add any prescription, fee slip, bill or record of money borrowed.

If no one at home can read or write, a trusted relative, teacher or neighbour can fill in the form on your behalf, as long as the details are true. A volunteer may phone to ask a few questions. There is never a charge, and nobody is allowed to take money in PHWO’s name.

Education and women's needs in Diamer

Because literacy among women is so low, PHWO pays attention to requests about girls’ schooling: uniforms, books, fees or transport to a school in Chilas town. A widow or a mother raising children alone can also explain her situation directly, and a female relative may send the request if she prefers.

PHWO’s Programmes cover education, health, women empowerment, digital skills and vocational training among other areas. Families who want information on marriage can use the free Rishta Desk, where each profile is checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff, and families decide everything; no match is promised.

Legal advice for cases in the Chilas courts

Civil, family and criminal matters from Diamer are heard in Chilas, and higher appeals are decided by the Chief Court of Gilgit-Baltistan. With Free legal aid, papers can be sent to a Pakistan-based volunteer lawyer for a plain explanation. Land and forest shares, inheritance, marriage disputes and maintenance are common questions.

You can ask without an FIR. Say clearly if custody or a close hearing date is involved; these are read first. Whether an advocate can represent you depends on availability at the time, so think of this first as a way to understand your position.

Public offices that can help in Chilas

• District Headquarters Hospital Chilas for government treatment.
• 15 for police.
• BISP for Kafaalat and school stipends: SMS your CNIC to 8171.
• District Zakat and Ushr Committee Diamer for state zakat.
• District courts Chilas and the bar for in-person advice.

Supporting Diamer from elsewhere

Donors in Pakistan or overseas can give through Donate, either money or goods such as schoolbags and clothing. Zakat and Sadaqah reach eligible recipients in full. Use Sponsor a case to support one verified household. Advocates in Pakistan, and fundraisers from any country, can become volunteers and receive a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter.

Public services in Chilas you can also use

• District courts Diamer (Chilas)Civil, criminal and family cases
• Chief Court of Gilgit-BaltistanAppeals
• District Headquarters Hospital ChilasGovernment hospital
• PoliceDial 15
• BISPSMS CNIC to 8171
• District Zakat and Ushr Committee DiamerGovernment zakat

These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.

Frequently asked questions