Mamadbokir “Boqir” Mamadbokirov was a highly respected leader of the Pamiri people. He was born and raised in Khorog, the capital city of the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region (GBAO). This vast mountainous area is spopulated with only 2% of Tajikistan’s population, but that makes up 45% of the country. The Pamiri people, mostly Ismaili Shi’ites, had been granted autonomous political status by the Soviet Union due to their unique culture, languages, and minority religion.