‘Seabuck thorn’ can help earn bread (dated    September 14, 2002) By Syed Shamsuddin The prospects of mountain agriculture being scant, there seems no other brisk economic and commercial activity going on to substantially support the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. The per capita income here is at the lowest ebb when compared with other parts of the country in the aftermath of an unprecedented population explosion    being witnessed here over the years. The result is poverty with the people getting trapped in its vicious cycle. In such a situation, efforts are needed to remedy this alarming state by seeking innovative alternatives for the present and future generations. A better future can be ensured by harnessing the indigenous resources to bring about an autarky in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. All ‘seabuck thorn’ forests may be converted into nurseries on scientific lines to achieve maximal produce. It is also pertinent to    re-emphasise on the male and fem

Gilgit-Baltistan : Central Asia of Pakistan II (The writer derived from his publication in The Nation dated August 31, 2002) Syed Shams ud Din The dams as referred to elsewhere in the above, when it comes to their implementation, have other impacts as well which often   get disapproved of. The main problem stemming from their construction, foremost being the diaspora and land submergence, besides the ecological damages these entail. But nonetheless, the case of Skardu dam becomes quite unique of its kind as termed by the said former IRSA chief as having seven times more reservoir capacity than the Tarbela which has total capacity of 5.7 maf. What was another stunning feature in the case of the Skardu dam as related to the above IRSA chief was its gigantic hydro-power potential of 15000 megawatts (MW). If this be the case with a single dam in Gilgit-Baltistan, how much more such power could be generated from others across the whole region, one wonders!! Wh