Cold Winters in the Old Khanate: How an NGO in Kalat Can Be Reached

Kalat was for centuries the capital of the Khanate of Kalat, and the old town still sits beneath the ruins of the Khan’s citadel on a high plateau south of Quetta. At roughly two thousand metres, it has bitterly cold winters, with hard frosts and occasional snow. Families here grow apples, apricots and wheat where water allows, keep sheep and goats, and work along the N-25 highway or in Quetta and Karachi. People searching for an NGO in Kalat often need help getting through winter, clearing debts, paying for treatment or keeping children in school.

Requests from Kalat households are welcome at Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO), though the organisation has no presence in Kalat itself: no office, no workers, no distribution point. It is run from one office in Larkana, Sindh, and people apply online, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or through a volunteer, free of charge. A volunteer verifies each case; help comes only where a proven need is within reach, and nothing is assured ahead of time.

Kalat District: the census picture

The 2023 Census counted 271,560 people in Kalat District across 7,654 square kilometres (PBS 2023 census, Balochistan district figures). About 16 percent lived in towns, and households were large, averaging 8.2 people. The population grew by nearly 5 percent a year after 2017. Brahui is the mother tongue of about 73 percent of residents, and Balochi of about 26 percent (PBS table of mother tongues).

Kalat sub-division, around the town, had 167,405 people. Mangochar sub-division had 80,138 people, while Johan, a remote sub-tehsil in the hills, had only 15,731 on 1,328 square kilometres. In such scattered places a single clinic or school may serve villages hours apart.

Getting through a Kalat winter

From November to February, nights on the Kalat plateau fall well below freezing. Heating costs money: wood is scarce and expensive, gas supply is uncertain, and many homes are built of mud without insulation. Farm work stops for the season and casual labour dries up. Children and the elderly fall ill with chest infections.

If your family cannot manage the cold months, apply through Request help. You can ask about flour and household ration, medicine, and debts taken to buy fuel. Say how many people live in the house, including elderly and sick members, and what income there is in winter.

Travellers and drivers on the N-25 also pass through Kalat in winter, and accidents on icy stretches can leave families without an earner. Patients from Johan or Mangochar who must reach Quetta for treatment in the cold season face extra costs for transport and lodging. Attach medical papers and receipts if these costs have pushed you into debt.

Orchards, flocks and dry years

Kalat’s apple and apricot orchards and its wheat fields depend on tubewells, springs and karez. Falling groundwater and years of weak rain have made water expensive and uncertain. Herding families lose animals in drought and in harsh winters. When the harvest or the flock fails, the household borrows, and the debt can grow year to year.

Across Pakistan, the requests PHWO receives most are for loans, groceries and study devices. Medical costs, school and college fees and rent can also be requested. For a loan, give the lender’s name, the sum and the reason it was taken.

Your application, step by step

1. Open the form on the website or message PHWO from your free PHWO account.
2. Explain your situation in Brahui, Balochi or Urdu.
3. Add a live photo of yourself and any documents you have, such as prescriptions or loan notes.
4. Make sure the phone number you give is one you will answer, even in the cold months when some families move to lower ground or stay with relatives in Quetta.

PHWO asks for no money. A person who demands payment for arranging help in PHWO’s name is not connected to it.

Legal advice for Kalat families

Civil, criminal and family matters in the district are decided by Kalat’s sessions courts, and the provincial high court hears appeals. Disputes over land, water shares and inheritance are common, as are family cases over haq mehr, maintenance, khula and custody.

Send documents and a brief account to Free legal aid. A volunteer lawyer will reply with the possible routes. No FIR is required. Children’s cases and urgent hearings are read first. A volunteer representing you in court is never assured.

Public services in Kalat

• Kalat’s district hospital; winter chest infections and serious cases are often sent to Quetta.
• 15 reaches police, and Levies cover the countryside.
• BISP: an 8171 SMS of a woman’s CNIC shows whether she qualifies (bisp.gov.pk).
• Heavy snow, drought and floods are handled by the disaster authority (pdma.gob.pk).
• Provincial departments: balochistan.gov.pk.

Supporting families in Kalat

People from Kalat living in Quetta, Karachi or abroad can Donate, perhaps warm clothing, blankets or flour before winter, or money. They can also back one checked family with Sponsor a case. Zakat and Sadaqah reach people in need without any deduction.

Kalat’s lawyers and teachers, and fundraisers abroad, can enrol as a Volunteer, receiving a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter. Students in Kalat who want to learn computer skills, tailoring or another trade that can earn an income close to home can read about the options in Programmes.

Public services in Kalat you can also use

• District and Sessions Courts KalatCivil, criminal and family cases
• High Court of Balochistan, QuettaAppeals
• District Headquarters Hospital KalatGovernment hospital
• Police / LeviesDial 15
• BISP office KalatSMS CNIC to 8171
• PDMA BalochistanEmergency relief
• Government of BalochistanProvincial departments

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

Frequently asked questions