Gultari Valley (Balti:گلتری) (also known as Shingo Shigar), located west of
Kargil town with Skardu 288 km to its north and Dras in south, is amongst the biggest valleys of Pakistan-administered Baltistan on the disputed India Pakistan Line of Control (LoC) in Himalaya. It comprises three sub-valleys, Shingo, Saigar and Phultukus, with the majority people speaking the Shina language. Galtari is a district subdivision in Skardu District of Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region, with 10,000 population spread across 16 revenue estate villages, some of which have several isolated hamlets.
This area is a subset of Shingo River, and its main tributary Shigar River also fall in this area, both of these and their tributaries form two main valleys and several subvalleys. Shingo River originates from the watershed immediate west of Burzil La on western fringe of Deosai National Park (DNP) in Pakistan administered area near the LOC. Shingo River flows west to east on Southern fringe of DNP through Gultari, Mousa Village (Haideri Bridge), Faranshat, Buniyol, Kunar, Palawar, Thanus, Babachand (turns south and enters Indian administered side of LOC) and confluences with the Dras river near Latoo in Indian administered area. Road along this route of Shingo River is called the "Astor-Kargil Road". Shigar River, the main tributary of Shingo River, originates north of Shingo River & South of Sakardu near Burji La in the northern part of DNP and flows entirely to north of Shingo River. Shigar River flows Northwest to South East via Ginial (collects its tributary Karapchu River) and Shigar, and then confluences with Shingo River near Franshat.
Area falls into the valley of
The area has been divided into two union councils (elected village councils or panchayats) for administrative purpose, i.e. Shingo Shighar and Gultari. The Shingo Shighar union council comprises six small villages in the valley of Shigar River: Pato thali, Nogham, Akberabad, Ginyal (Ginial), Matyal, and Thali. The Gultari union council includes 10 villages along the main Shingo River on "Astor-Kargil Road": such as Gultari khas, Sumuluk, Shawaran, Chamaluk, Franshat, Bunyal, Zaigham, Koner, Chundo, Thanote, Shakhma, Babachan, Fultuks (Matial, Haramel, Domial, Machikial, Uchi, Das, Barbat, Baikhial are small hamlets of Fultuks).
Since Pakistan-administered area of geostrategically important Gultari valley has been neglected by the Pakistan government, it remains underdeveloped. Consequently, due to nonexistence of hospitals, schools and other basic needs of life, majority of people have migrated to cities like Skardu, Gilgit, Rawalpindi or Karachi. The region is one of the coldest part of the country.
Ali Sher Khan Anchan (1590–1625), a Balti king of Maqpon dynasty who unified Baltistan, merged Gultari with Skardu in Baltistan.
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