Window to Gilgit-Baltistan

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A Gem Lost Too Soon: Remembering Engr. Maisum Qasimi

By Syed Shamsuddin The tragic news of a devastating accident at Havelian, Hazara Division, on September 9, 2025, has cast a deep shadow of grief across the region and among all who knew the victims. Among the five precious lives lost was Engr. Maisum Qasimi — a name synonymous with brilliance, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to intellectual and social causes. His sudden departure has created a void that words struggle to fill. Maisum was not only a distinguished telecom engineer and a proud alumnus of the second batch of Cadet College Skardu — a classmate of both my son and nephew — but also a rare intellectual voice whose writings on the issues confronting Gilgit-Baltistan carried depth, precision, and eloquence. He possessed the uncommon ability to rise above rhetoric and articulate truth with clarity, balance, and conviction. For many, his thoughtful contributions served as a compass, inspiring reflection, awareness, and a sense of collective responsibility. Just about...

Harnessing the Earth’s Energy: A Natural Solution for Comfortable Homes in Gilgit-Baltista

By Syed Shamsuddin ACROSS the world, people are rethinking how homes should be built in the face of climate stress. Unfortunately, in our part of the world—especially in Gilgit-Baltistan—we have turned our houses into concrete fortresses. These structures, far from providing comfort, often feel like furnaces in the summer and icehouses in the winter. The challenge is not simply architectural—it is rooted in geography and demography. Gilgit-Baltistan is a highly mountainous region where summers can be scorching in the valleys and winters bitterly cold. Traditional timber-and-stone houses once offered some natural insulation, but rapid population growth and scarcity of land have forced people to abandon those methods. In crowded valleys, families are compelled to build upward, creating compact, concrete dwellings. While land-efficient, these “cement-and-iron boxes” intensify climatic extremes, making life inside intolerable for much of the year. A Proposal Worth Considering I...

From Karakoram Winds to Golden Gate Shores

By Syed Shamsuddin On April 6, 2025, I set out on a journey unlike any I had taken before—one that carried me from the rugged valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan to the highly developed and technologically advanced United States. It was a passage from a land where life follows the rhythm of rivers, the bloom of apricot blossoms, and the whisper of Karakoram winds, to a nation defined by skyscrapers, Silicon Valley innovations, and an unrelenting drive toward the future. This was not simply a voyage to another country; it was a deeply personal odyssey—a quest to reunite with my son, a professional civil engineer, in San Francisco. For a traveler coming from Washington, San Francisco lies at the far edge of the continent, turning my journey into a true coast-to-coast experience. The distance, both physical and symbolic, only heightened the weight and anticipation of this moment. Leaving Gilgit-Baltistan meant stepping out of mountain-locked valleys into bustling airports, across vast ocean...

Facing Climate Change in Gilgit-Baltistan: From Fragility to Resilience

By Syed Shamsuddin PERCHED on the roof of the world, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is home to some of the planet’s loftiest peaks and the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions. This breathtaking landscape, however, is also one of the most climate-fragile frontiers on Earth. In recent years, the region has experienced unsettling changes: unseasonal rains, cloudbursts of alarming intensity, and devastating Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). These events are no longer rare anomalies; they are becoming a new normal that threatens lives, livelihoods, cultural heritage, and vital infrastructure such as the Karakoram Highway. The Changing Landscape Rising temperatures are accelerating glacier melt and altering the timing of river flows, creating both sudden flood risks and seasonal water shortages. Winter rains at higher elevations, storms in off-seasons, and cloudbursts that overwhelm local systems are disrupting the traditional calendars of farming and daily life. ...

The Making of Lakes in Ghizer: Lessons from a Century of Floods and Natural Dams

By Syed Shamsuddin The History and Dynamics of Lakes in Ghizer: With Reference to the Recent Tali Das Lake The recent flood that created a lake at Tali Das has generated wide speculation and concern. Communities are debating whether the lake will burst, threatening lives and infrastructure, or whether it will gradually dissipate as several others have in the past. Although concrete remedial action has been limited, the anxiety is widespread. To put the matter in perspective, it is crucial to review both the process through which lakes form in Ghizer and the history of similar events over the last century . How Lakes Form in Ghizer The mountainous terrain of Gilgit-Baltistan, and Ghizer District in particular, is deeply prone to geological instability. The process of lake formation here follows a recurring pattern: Cloudbursts and Glacial Outbursts: Heavy rainfall or sudden melting of glaciers generates massive floods in mountain streams ( nalas ). Debris Flow: These ...

Shutting the Gates: How the New Border Pass Policy Marginalizes the Many

By Syed Shamsuddin The Border Pass System and the Legacy of NATCL The Border Pass System in Gilgit-Baltistan is not a privilege but a lifeline. Its very purpose—born of the region’s harsh geography and fragile economy—has always been to empower marginalized mountain communities by offering them access to modest-scale trade with neighboring Xinjiang. For decades, this system provided relief, dignity, and opportunity where few alternatives existed. NATCL: The Early Framework In 1967, under the first Barter Trade Protocol, the Northern Areas Traders Cooperative Limited (NATCL) was created in Gilgit as the sole organizer of border trade with Kashgar. Goods traded under this scheme were exempt from duties and taxes by the Central Board of Revenue through SRO No. 2(1)/70 dated January 1, 1970. For nearly two decades, NATCL facilitated regulated barter caravans, issuing border passes exclusively to its members. This arrangement—however limited—recognized the right of local traders...