If you’re travelling through Ghizer, this page is worth a quick read. Khowar is the language of the five on this site that appears in the fewest records, and that makes it a good example of how careful the language section tries to be. It isn’t named on the tourism department’s culture page. It comes into our pages through one district, Ghizer, where it’s listed among the common languages and where the district note recommends learning a few words of it. This page explains exactly what that record says, what it doesn’t, and how a visitor to Ghizer can use Khowar as a courtesy.
You won’t find a phrasebook here. Our sources don’t publish greetings, grammar, speaker numbers or a history of the language, and we don’t make them up.
Where Khowar is recorded
The Ghizer district page
The Ghizer district page names Shina, Khowar, Burushaski and Wakhi as the common languages of the district, and says Urdu and English are also widely spoken. It adds that a few words of Khowar are the courtesy the district note recommends. Khowar is the language article filed with Ghizer.
The same page explains how the other languages fit. Shina is filed with Gilgit but is still named among Ghizer’s common languages. Wakhi is filed with Hunza and is also named here. Speaker counts aren’t part of the record.
The Ghizer destination page
The Ghizer destination page repeats the four-language list. It describes learning a few words of Khowar as “useful visitor courtesy, not a language course”. That phrase sums up the whole approach of this page.
What the culture page says
The department’s culture page, “We All Are Culture”, names Shina, Balti and Burushaski among the main languages of Gilgit-Baltistan. It doesn’t name Khowar. That isn’t a contradiction. The culture page gives a regional summary, and the district records add the languages of particular valleys. Our culture of Gilgit-Baltistan page explains how the two kinds of source fit together.
A note on spelling
The short summary cards on our language pages write the Ghizer list as “Shina, Khowar, Brushashki, and Wakhi”. The district and destination pages write Burushaski. These refer to the same language. We use Burushaski in running text. Khowar itself is spelled the same way everywhere on the site.
Khowar in a four-language district
Ghizer is unusual on this site because four local languages are named for one district. That tells you something useful as a traveller: the language you hear may change from one village or valley to the next, and the people you meet may speak more than one.
The Ghizer district page lists five tehsils: Gahkuch, Gupis, Ishkoman, Punial and Yasin. Our sources don’t say which language is spoken in which tehsil, and we don’t guess. The record recommends Khowar as the courtesy language for the district as a whole. If you’re unsure which greeting to use in a particular village, ask your host or driver.
Where you might use it
The tourist places attached to the Ghizer record are Khalti Lake, Phander Lake, Phandar Valley (also written Phander Valley) and Shandur Pass. The district page describes Shandur Pass as connecting Ghizer to Chitral, and as the ground where the polo festival is played.
Two festivals bring many visitors to Ghizer:
- The Shandur polo festival, a summer event on the pass.
- The Khalti ice hockey festival, a winter event on the frozen lake.
The Ghizer district page makes a point of keeping these apart. A July polo week and a winter ice event are different trips. Our best time to visit guide explains the seasons. Whichever you choose, a greeting in Khowar is a friendly start.
Urdu and English alongside Khowar
The Ghizer record says Urdu and English are also widely spoken. You don’t need Khowar to get around, book a room or hire a driver. A few words of Khowar are the extra step that shows respect for the place you’re visiting.
A few words as a courtesy
Our language pages say the Hunza and Ghizer records both treat a few local words as a courtesy rather than a test, and that fluency isn’t required. Khowar is the clearest example: the Ghizer note recommends it by name.
We don’t print greetings, because our sources don’t. Instead, try this on your first day. Ask your host, guide or driver how to say hello and thank you in Khowar. Write it down the way it sounds to you. Use it at the next stop. People tend to respond warmly to the effort, and you’ll usually get a correction or two as well.
Why we don’t stretch the record
It would be easy to add more about Khowar from outside sources: where else it’s spoken, how many speakers it has, how it relates to other languages. Our sources don’t give any of that, so this page doesn’t. That’s the same restraint the language section uses everywhere.
It also means we don’t assign Khowar to districts where it isn’t recorded. The languages introduction explains that Nagar, Diamer, Kharmang and Astore have no language line on our pages, and that we don’t fill those gaps from a neighbouring district. Khowar stays with Ghizer.
Language and conduct
Language and respect go together. The department FAQ asks visitors to dress modestly and to remove shoes before entering a mosque or a local house; see visitor customs and dress. Ask before photographing people; see photography restrictions. Asking permission in Khowar, or at least starting with a Khowar greeting, sets a good tone.
Learning from a guide
A licensed guide can help with language as well as routes. Our tour guide regulations page explains that guides are expected to know the region’s history, culture and geography. For valley days or longer trips, our hiring a tour operator guide explains how to check a licence.
Planning a trip to Ghizer
The FAQ names Shandur Pass as one of the road approaches into Gilgit-Baltistan, alongside the Karakoram Highway and Babusar Pass. See road approaches. Our getting-there guide describes Gilgit Airport as useful for parts of Ghizer, with the rest of the journey by road. High roads close with the seasons, so check alerts before you set off, and pack for cold; see packing for Gilgit-Baltistan. The Ghizer district page notes that no hotel is named around Khalti, Phander or Shandur, so confirm where you’ll stay before you go.
Ghizer’s languages side by side
This table shows how each of Ghizer’s four named languages is filed on this site. It helps explain why Khowar is the one the Ghizer note singles out.
| Language | Filed with | Also named for Ghizer? |
|---|---|---|
| Khowar | Ghizer | Yes, and recommended as the courtesy language |
| Shina | Gilgit | Yes |
| Burushaski | Hunza | Yes |
| Wakhi | Hunza | Yes |
Khowar is the only one of the four whose language article is filed with Ghizer itself. That’s why the district note points visitors to it, even though the other three are named as common too.
Getting the most from a greeting
A greeting works best when it’s matched to the moment. Use it when you arrive at a guesthouse, when you meet a family, or when you ask a shopkeeper for help. Follow it with whatever language the other person replies in. If they answer in Urdu or English, that’s fine; the greeting has done its job. If they answer in Khowar, smile and ask them to repeat it. Most hosts enjoy teaching a second word.
What this page won’t include
- Speaker counts. Not part of the record.
- Phrases or translations. Not in our sources.
- Where else Khowar is spoken. Our sources don’t say, so we don’t.
- Which tehsil speaks which language. Not recorded.
- Scripts or history. Not described.
Related languages
Ghizer’s other common languages each have their own page: Shina, Burushaski and Wakhi. Balti belongs to the Baltistan records.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Khowar named on this site?
On the Ghizer district and destination pages, which list it among the district’s common languages.
Does the department’s culture page name Khowar?
No. It names Shina, Balti and Burushaski. Khowar comes from the Ghizer record.
Which other languages are named for Ghizer?
Shina, Burushaski and Wakhi, with Urdu and English also widely spoken.
Why learn a few words of Khowar?
The Ghizer district note recommends it as a visitor courtesy. The destination page calls it “useful visitor courtesy, not a language course”.
Do I need to speak Khowar to visit Ghizer?
No. Urdu and English are widely spoken. A few words are a courtesy, not a requirement.
Does this page teach Khowar greetings?
No. Our sources don’t print phrases. Ask your host or guide when you arrive.
Is “Brushashki” a different language?
No. It’s a spelling on the summary cards for Burushaski, which is the spelling the district pages use.
Which tehsils of Ghizer speak Khowar?
Our sources don’t say. The Ghizer page lists the tehsils but doesn’t map languages to them.
How many people speak Khowar?
Our sources don’t publish a speaker count.
Is Khowar named for any other district?
Not on this site. It stays with the Ghizer record.
Source
District Ghizer tourist destinations (Tourism Department) · Tourism, Sports, Culture, Archaeology & Museums Department, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan · Accessed 2026-08-27
