Long Winters, Far From Markets: Reaching an NGO in Gilgit Without Leaving Home

Gilgit sits where the Gilgit and Hunza rivers meet, ringed by some of the highest mountains on Earth, with the Karakoram Highway running through it towards China. It is the capital and busiest town of Gilgit-Baltistan, yet everything from flour to medicine comes up a long road that landslides can close for days. Anyone looking for an NGO in Gilgit is often dealing with a problem that this distance makes worse.

Gilgit families are welcome to apply to Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO), but it is important to be clear: there is no PHWO office, centre or employee anywhere in Gilgit-Baltistan. Its sole address is in Larkana, Sindh; northerners contact it on the internet, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or through a volunteer. All of it is free. Each case is checked, and help follows where a real need is confirmed and can be met, though a result is never promised.

Gilgit District in official figures

Gilgit District had 324,552 residents in the 2023 Census, up from 285,236 in 2017, on an area of about 4,208 square kilometres. Its literacy rate, at around 73 percent, is one of the higher ones in the region. Gilgit-Baltistan as a whole counted 1,709,049 people. These numbers come from the region’s planning department in GB at a Glance 2025, which draws on Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data.

Shina is the main language of the town and the surrounding villages of the district, while Burushaski, Wakhi, Khowar and Urdu are heard among the many families who have moved in from the valleys around it.

The hard months: cold, power cuts and closed roads

Winter is the season when many Gilgit households struggle most. Temperatures fall well below freezing, electricity supply shrinks as rivers slow, and firewood or gas cylinders become a large monthly expense. Tourism, which gives many young men their summer income as drivers, cooks and hotel staff, stops almost completely. Families live on savings, then on credit from the local shop.

The mountains bring other shocks. Landslides and glacial floods can cut off villages and destroy fields, as happened in several parts of Gilgit-Baltistan during 2022. A single accident on a mountain road can leave a family without its only earner, and treatment in Islamabad or Rawalpindi adds travel and lodging costs on top.

Everywhere in Pakistan, ration, debt and a laptop or phone for classes or a livelihood top the list of what people ask PHWO for. In Gilgit the last matters a great deal, because a student at university here, or a graduate who wants to freelance for clients abroad, can build a future without moving south if they have a working device and a connection.

Asking an NGO in Gilgit for help, step by step

1. Go to Request help, or message PHWO from your free PHWO account.
2. Write down the full picture: how many people live with you, what income comes in during winter and summer, and what you are asking for.
3. Add a live photo of yourself. Electricity bills, shop credit lists, fee challans or medical papers help a lot.
4. Leave your mobile switched on in case a volunteer rings back with questions.

If mobile data is weak in your village, send the request when you are in town. Nobody is permitted to charge you for any part of this, and PHWO asks for no money at any stage.

Family law advice for people in Gilgit

Gilgit-Baltistan has its own court system. The district courts in Gilgit hear civil, criminal and family cases, appeals go to the Chief Court of Gilgit-Baltistan, and above that is the Supreme Appellate Court. Most people who write to PHWO’s Free legal aid service bring family questions: separation, khula, dower, maintenance and custody of children.

A volunteer advocate looks over what you send and explains your choices. Not having an FIR is no barrier to asking. Custody disputes and hearings coming up soon are given priority. Representation in court depends on whether a volunteer is available and cannot be assured.

Public services in and around Gilgit

• District Headquarters Hospital Gilgit for emergencies and referrals.
• 1122 for rescue after a crash, fire or landslide; 15 reaches the police.
• BISP office in Gilgit for Kafaalat and education stipends; an SMS of your CNIC to 8171 tells you whether you qualify; programme details are on bisp.gov.pk.
• The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan portal for departments such as health, education and social welfare.
• Karakoram International University for student financial aid enquiries (kiu.edu.pk).
• The district zakat and ushr committee for government zakat.

Donating, volunteering and matchmaking

People from Gilgit working in Islamabad, Karachi or overseas often send money home each winter. Through Donate, they can also support households they do not know personally, in cash or in kind; Zakat and Sadaqah given this way go entirely to those who qualify.

PHWO needs lawyers inside Pakistan and fundraisers anywhere in the world, and it already has volunteers living overseas. Join through Volunteer and receive a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter. For families searching for a spouse, the Rishta Desk is free, open to all faiths, and each profile is checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff, with decisions left entirely to the families; no match is guaranteed.

Public services in Gilgit you can also use

• District and Sessions Courts GilgitCivil, criminal and family cases
• Chief Court of Gilgit-BaltistanAppeals
• District Headquarters Hospital GilgitEmergency and referral care
• Rescue 1122 / PoliceDial 1122 or 15
• BISP office GilgitSMS CNIC to 8171
• Karakoram International UniversityStudent financial aid office
• District Zakat and Ushr Committee GilgitGovernment zakat

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

Frequently asked questions