Having the honoured names of the worthy martyrs of Baltistan’s independence war on its face, this minaret is a symbol of the benefactors of the nation as well as a witness to the social and political movements and the struggle of the pioneers of constitutional rights in Gilgit-Baltistan. Yes! This is Yadgar-e-Shohada Skardu, standing with all its magnificence in the heart of the city. This monument is the identity of Skardu and also the centre of attention.
This monument was built by Baltistan’s Political agent, Banat Gul Afridi, in memory of the martyrs of the 1948 Baltistan War of Independence. Banat Gul Afridi was a dutiful officer with special affection for the residents of Baltistan, and he always tried to solve their problems. When Banat Gul Afridi was appointed as the administrative head of Baltistan for the second time in 1964, the revolutionary steps taken by him for the development of the region were commendable. The construction of Naya Bazar Skardu and the establishment of a martyrs’ memorial were his prominent projects.
Skardu’s old market, built during the Dogra rule, was replaced by a new market fulfilling the demands of a new era, having Shops, offices, including the PIA office, Hotels, library, and dispensary just like the markets of mega cities. He decided to build a memorial to the martyrs of Baltistan in the middle of this market, who sacrificed their lives to liberate their homeland from the rule of the Dogars in the War of Independence. He entrusted the task of building the new bazaar and the monument to three important figures of Baltistan, Wazir Farman Ali, H. Ghulam, and Ghulam Nabi, who have also been mentioned by Banat Gul Afridi in his book Baltistan In History. According to him, the construction of the martyrs’ memorial was one of his main wishes.
Former Federal Joint Secretary Wazir Farman Ali, who was an administrative officer of Skardu, described in his book “From Donkey Ride To Flight in Orient Airliner” that Banat Gul Afridi admired the services of the people of Baltistan during the war of independence. With the help of important personalities from the villages of Baltistan, he brought out the names of all the martyrs of 1948 and succeeded in compiling the list of martyrs with great effort. Thus, the names of the martyrs were engraved on the marble and installed on the monument.
A prominent social activist, Haji Muhammad Raza, alias Babu Raza, says that Sultan Mehdi Qumrah suggested Banat Gul Afridi to construct the Yadgar e Shohada. Sultan Mehdi was the commander of Quaid e Azam’s national guards in Shimla. He submitted a request to Banat Gul Afridi for the construction of the martyrs memorial and also offered Rs 500 as a contribution.
While talking about the monument Ghulam Abbas Soday and Haji Ghulam Muhammad Naadim said that the construction of Yadgar e Shohada cost approximately 20,000 rupees. It was a huge amount for those times. The sketch of the minaret of the monument was the brainchild of Banat Gul himself. Its construction was assigned to Qadir Akhund and Rafi Khur, who were residents of Kasghar, China. Both of them had come to Skardu for trade and had settled here. They constructed the monument after much professional hard work over many years. Two special types of stones were used in the monument. The white stone was mined from the Kharpocho rock, while the green one was brought from Qumrah village near Skardu. These stones were carved in a unique style by the expert stone carvers of Skardu and Hunza without any machinery.
Kachu Mehdi Ali Khan, an elderly figure of the Maqpoon Family, has seen many cultural and historical heritages of Skardu come into being. While sharing his memoirs regarding the Yadgar, he says that with the personal efforts of Banat Gul, the construction of the minaret was completed in 1969. However, the newly appointed Political agent, Mumtaz Khan Wazir, was honored with its unveiling. Mumtaz Khan Wazir inaugurated the Yadgar e Shohada Baltistan on July 30, 1970. On the other hand, Banat Gul Afridi has expressed regret for not having the honor of inaugurating the Yadgar in his book.
Gilgit Baltistan’s former Secretary of Education and Health, Khawaja Mehardad Yousuf, says that the splendor of the city has doubled with the construction of the monument. People used to come to see it with great desire and used to recite Fatiha in the name of the martyrs of the War of independence.
After its construction, it became the center of public movements. In other words, this monument became like a public assembly. This splendid minaret brought the voices of the leaders and activists of political and constitutional rights to the corridors of power. It’s like Yadgar e Shohada Baltistan became an influential platform for powerful groups. However, this minaret, which takes the voice of the people to the powerful houses, could not see the region get its constitutional rights until now.
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