Punial

Punial is a fertile tract along the middle Gilgit River, below the opening of the Ishkoman valley. Its Shina name is associated with fertile land and fruit, which grows in settlements such as Gahkuch and Sherqilla. Before the rise of its rajas, local groups were led by tribal chiefs. The Brush family, a branch of the Khushwaqt rulers of Yasin, later established a state here, and Sifat Bahadur chose Gahkuch as its capital.