By Syed Shams Uddin SADLY ENOUGH, local media reports unfold that a PC.I with the envisagement of a hefty allocation of 88 crore, 70 lac and 24 thousand was approved in March 2015 in connection with establishment of engineering faculty at KIU. A vast area of land measuring 1692 kanals at Shilmischdas too was allotted to the varsity for the purpose but nonetheless, its handing-over process did not see the light of the day till today perhaps because of a dispute as a consequence of which the project implementation hangs in balance. It will be recalled that another project of crucial significance ‘establishment of medical college in Gilgit’ too met a similar fate despite its reportedly having been approved long ago. The only progress one can see so far is the erection of a signboard on the KKH at Sultanabad village in close contiguity to Gilgit city which all and sundry passing through the Karakoram Highway can see unfailingly. Ironically, entire Gilgit-Baltistan is currently shorn

Syed Shams Uddin Ecotourism or nature tourism is defined as “travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontrolled natural areas with specific objectives of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas” (Ceballos-Lascurain 1988). Ecotourism policy needs be carefully crafted and developed in order that economic benefits could be made attainable without harming the fragile ecosystems and not blatantly using it as a mere marketing jargon. If not properly designed, managed and monitored, it may assume the form of mass tourism resulting in unforeseen, highly negative and unintended results in environmental context. Generally speaking, tourism involves travelling to a natural and less-developed area for adventure and to experience varying socio-cultural and environmental settings; hence, it embraces strong elements of “ecotourism” or “nature tourism”. Pakistan, the custodian

By Syed Shams Uddin Having been initiated 15 years ago, December 11, each year is being celebrated as International Day of Mountains to highlight the significance of mountains and keep the habitats of the mountain-dwellers intact. The environmental transformations resulting from the earth-warming tend to compound the problems of the mountain communities whilst horrifically tending to exacerbate further its efforts aimed at scientifically grappling these issues are undertaken. Given its sheer mountains, Gilgit-Baltistan happens to be a region where barely one percent of land remains under mountain agriculture in the face of mounting demographic pressures witnessed overtime. Gilgit-Baltistan, to put it unexaggeratedly, is reckoned with as a veritable geological wonderland with all the munificence of Nature. There are total 82 peaks of varying heights which include 06 peak of above 6000 meter in G-B while those above 7000 meters get reckoned with as 73, those above 6000 meters are 73

By Syed Shams Uddin “Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours”   said Les Brown. As an annual feature, the observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons or to put it, the Persons with Disabilities – on November 3, attuned to and in consonance with the proclamation of the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3 in the year 1992, aims fundamentally at assessing and evaluating the progress achieved in helping this particular segment of society to have their rights to tide over hardships encountered by them in daily life. LIKE other nations, third December is celebrated in a befitting manner in Pakistan in deference to and in conformity with the UN resolution under reference. It has to be born in mind that in this mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), the situations facing the special persons are admittedly worse than those living in the plains obviously because of the acutely inhospitable geography and harsh climatic conditions. The continued