Meet Mohammad Shiraz, Pakistan’s 5-year-old vlogger

SKARDU, Pakistan (AA) – Pakistan’s northern scenic Gilgit-Baltistan region is known for its snow-capped peaks, glistening lakes and glaciers, as well as plucky climbers.

Located on the confluence of the world’s three greatest mountain ranges, Gilgit-Baltistan has long been one of the favorite destinations of international climbers and trekkers. However, the South Asian country is yet to exploit the region’s untapped tourism potential to its maximum advantage, mainly because of poor infrastructure and other facilities.

The region has produced several internationally recognized mountaineers, including Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to scale the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest; Nazir Sabir, the first Pakistani to scale the world’s second highest mountain, K2, the iconic high-altitude mountaineer Mohammad Ali Sadpara, and Sirbaz Khan, the first local climber to ascend 13 out of a total 14 peaks above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) high.

Five-year-old Mohammad Shiraz has emerged as an ambassador to promote the region’s beauty together with daily challenges the locals have to grapple with.

Shiraz, a grade 1 student, recently joined YouTube as well as Facebook and Instagram, where he uploads his daily activities, showcasing the raw village life of the picturesque northern region, which borders China.

Within a month, his social media attempt has snowballed him into a celebrity, taking the internet by storm, with his fan following traversing borders and winning hearts in diaspora communities as well.

Hailing from Ghursay, a small village of 2,000 people, and perched on the foothills of Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield, Shiraz takes his viewers on a journey through swinging stony streets and Persian style houses, aside from introducing them to local festivals and celebrations.

“I want to show the beauty of my village and local life to the outside world. I just like it, “ Shiraz shared when asked what propelled him to join YouTube.

His father, Mohammad Taqi, who is also a vlogger, is Shiraz’s inspiration.

“I did not teach or encourage him to do that because he is too young for that. It’s just his own decision and action. I just helped him a bit,“ Taqi said.

Shiraz uploaded and released his first vlog last month and has already grabbed tens of thousands of subscribers and a YouTube Silver Play Button.

His broken Urdu and simple but playful storytelling style add value to his vlogs.

Huddled next to the borders of Pakistan, India and China, the region includes the world’s second-longest glaciers, stretching an impressive 76 kilometers.

“The outsiders know Gilgit-Baltistan for its beauty, mountains and treks. However, there is another world beyond that, which is a mix of culture, hospitality, festivities and problems,” Taqi said.

“We want to tell the world about that as well. How does snowfall impact daily life? How do locals cope with stinging cold when there are no centrally-heated houses? And how our culture and languages are different and unique,” he maintained.

“And on top of that, how do we produce quality climbers and porters despite a lack of resources and training?“

– Slow internet and poor tourism infrastructure –

Since the region became a gateway for the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, banks, investors and food chains have been moving into the mountainous region.

However, a large chunk of the local population lives in poverty and poor infrastructure keeps tourists away from far-flung but spectacular areas like Shiraz’s.

Slow or no internet mainly because of frequent power outages, landslides and inclement weather are other issues that Shiraz highlights in his vlogs.

The situation is relatively better in big cities like Gilgit and Skurdu, but in mountainous areas, the internet is practically available only for two hours a day, according to Mohammad Essa, a local journalist.