A young, Afghan boy waved 'goodbye' to his friends as the bus took him and his family away from his home in the rugged mountains. The rise of the Taliban meant 'home' was no longer safe and theirs would now be the story of refugees.
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Pakistan
The flute is often played in songs from the Ismaili Pamir regions. Some types of *nay* are played like a traditional western flute, from the side. The examples below are of end-blown flutes (much like a recorder). Often the *nay* is used for the traditional performance, *falaki*.
Here's a collection of Wakhi songs, both from Pakistan and Tajikistan. The Wakhi number about 100 000 and live across Badakhshan (Tajikistan and Afghanistan) as well as in north west Pakistan and far west China. Their language has not traditionally been written (although there are scripts in Cyrillic and Arabic) and so song and story-telling are two of the principle ways the language is kept alive.
News agencies are reporting almost 300 dead in northern Afghanistan and Pakistan, with tremors felt in Tajikistan and India.
All of us at *Ismaili Friends* send our deepest condolences to the friends, families and communities who have lost those closest to them.
Sultan Muhammad Shah al-Husayni, Aga Khan III, born in Karachi in November 1877 was 8 years old when he became Imam and was perhaps the most charismatic of the modern era.
The first 'modern' Imam rocketed Ismailis onto the world scene, largely through his extravagant lifestyle and high profile positions.
[News agencies are reporting](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/21/us-tajikistan-floods-idUSKCN0PV1MV20150721) 7 dead, 5 missing, 10 000 forced to evacuate and over $100 million worth of damage due to recent flooding in Tajikistan. The worst hit area is Gorno-Badakshan, home to a large, semi-autonomous Ismaili population.
Similarly, over 300 000 have been displaced in Chitral, Pakistan.
Many of you will be aware of the disgusting terror attacks carried out in Karachi on Wednesday that left 45 Ismailis dead at the hands of IS-affiliated terrorists. You can read the Al Jazeera report *here* or watch CNN's disturbing report *here*.
The *Ismaili Friends* network joins the Aga Khan in condemning this atrocity as a
"senseless act of violence against a peaceful community"
**Population**: 180 million
**Number of Ismailis**: 310 000
**Key Areas**:
* Chitral (160 000)
* Hunza Valley (80 000)
* Karachi (30-50 000)