Gilgit-Baltistan | Pakistan

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has expressed profound sorrow over the tragic loss of lives caused by flash floods at Babusar Top in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a critical alert warning of potential Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to accelerated glacier melting triggered by an ongoing heatwave.

A flash flood in the Burundubar stream near Attabad Lake blocks access to the Luxus resort.—Photo by the writer GILGIT: NDMA’s Nat­ional Emergencies Ope­ration Centre (NEOC) on Wednesday issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (Glof) alert for northern areas, including Gilgit-Baltistan, citing a dangerous combination of persistent high temperatures, intensified monsoon currents and a prevailing westerly wave. The alert comes as current heatwaves intensify glacier melting across the region, leading to increased water levels and flash floods creating disasters in downstream areas. A flash flood triggered on Wednesday by a melting glacier occurred in the Burundubar stream, which flows into the famous tourist point Attabad Lake, according to Rescue 1122. The floodwater blocked access to the Luxus hotel, entering its premises where “a large number of national and foreign tourists were present”. 160 evacuated by boat after flash flooding near Attabad Lake More than 160 tourists and hotel staff were evacuated by boat. ...

Gilgit - Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Haji Gulbar Khan, has said that Gilgit-Baltistan is an ideal region for investment compared to other parts of the country.

GILGIT: The World Environment Day remained largely ignored in Gilgit-Baltistan, as no major event was held across the region this year. However, some national and international non-governmental organisations marked the day in various areas, though with limited public attention. Environmentalists expressed reservations over the lack of importance given to the day in this ecologically sensitive region, and called for urgent action to reduce disaster risks stemming from environmental degradation and climate change impacts. An event related to the day was held at Rakaposhi Viewpoint in the Ghulmet area of Nagar district. It was organised by the Mountain Area Development Network (MADN) in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan. The event was attended by students, community members, representatives from various local support organisations and officials from NGOs. Activities included a cleanliness drive at Rakaposhi Viewpoint, an awareness walk to highlight the importance of the day, and an exhibition of eco-friendly produ...

Pakistan has confirmed a new polio case in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, marking the region’s first reported case since 2017.

GILGIT: Despite rain and winds in different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday, government schoolteachers continued to boycott classes and hold a protest sit-in for a sixth consecutive day to press the authorities for their one-point agenda of long overdue promotions. Academic activities at government schools across Gilgit-Baltistan have been suspended since last week, as thousands of teachers announced that they would call off their protest only when their single-point demand was fulfilled. For the past five days, teachers have organised demonstrations and rallies outside the education department offices in Hunza, Nagar, Astore, Skardu, Diamer, Ghanche, Shigar, Kharmang and Ghizer. On Friday, the protesting teachers from these districts marched towards Gilgit and joined the protest sit-in outside the Gilgit-Baltistan Directorate of Education in Gilgit, the regional headquarters, where the minister’s office is situated. Despite harsh weather conditions on Saturday, a number of male and female government te...

In a rare weather shift for May, several areas of Gilgit-Baltistan experienced unexpected snowfall, bringing a wave of chilly weather to the region.

GILGIT: Protests broke out across Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Thursday after police arrested five leaders of the Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee (ACC), including its chairman, Ehsan Ali Advocate, ahead of a planned Grand Jirga on May 26. Demonstrations were held in Hunza, Gilgit and Skardu, where protesters condemned the arrests and demanded the immediate release of the detained leaders. The ACC said the arrests were aimed at sabotaging the jirga, which was to address issues surrounding the ownership of natural resources in the region. According to officials, police arrested the activists — Ehsan Ali Advocate, Engineer Mahboob Wali, Masoodul Rehman, Asghar Shah and Waheed Hassan — from various places in Gilgit on Wednesday evening. A GB anti-terrorism court on Thursday granted police 14-day physical remand of the accused, who were taken to the Airport Police Station. Authorities have refused to share the First Infor­mation Report (FIR), but a police source told Dawn that the arrests were made under anti-...

A large number of foreign tourists have cancelled their trips to Gilgit-Baltistan due to heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, depriving local tour operators of much-needed earnings, a trade body official said on Thursday. The April 22 attack in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. New Delhi has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership have rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe. Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi granting “operational freedom” to his military. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said yesterday morning that there was credible evidence of an Indian attack within 36 hours, while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan wouldn’t strike first, but would respond decisively and strongly in the face of aggression. With tensions running high, Pakis...