Window to Gilgit-Baltistan

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 ...

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...

By   Syed Shamsuddin Danyore’s Martyrs and Rawooshan’s Shepherds: Living Testaments to Humanitarian Spirit On the night of 10th/11th August 2025 , Danyore was struck by a tragedy that will remain etched in the collective memory of Gilgit-Baltistan. In the stillness of midnight, when the valley lay wrapped in slumber, its youth were awake — struggling to safeguard the community’s lifeline: the historic irrigation channel of Manogah nullah. It was a mission born out of necessity, for this channel nourished the fields, orchards, and households of Central Danyore. Without it, life itself would wither. But destiny was merciless. A sudden landslip thundered down the mountain, engulfing these sons of the soil. Seven young men — brave, selfless, and determined — embraced martyrdom , while others were left injured. Their sacrifice was not for wealth, nor for recognition, but for the survival of their people. They embodied the truest essence of humanitarianism: to risk one’s own life for the...

By   Syed Shamsuddin Harnessing the Monsoon: Why Pakistan Must Launch a Large-Scale Rainwater Damming Project in the South Pakistan is witnessing an era of unprecedented monsoon rainfall , intensified by climate change. While these downpours bring much-needed water to an increasingly arid country, they also unleash destructive floods, erode agricultural land, and leave behind devastation, especially in the southern regions of Sindh and Balochistan . These provinces, despite having vast tracts of sparsely populated, dry land, are among the most vulnerable to both water scarcity and rain-induced disasters . In this context, Pakistan must launch a bold and visionary rainwater harvesting initiative—constructing thousands of rainwater dams and catchment reservoirs across its southern plateau. The goal must not merely be flood control, but water sustainability, groundwater recharge, ecological revival , and climate resilience . Learning from Saudi Arabia’s Visionary Model Saudi A...

By   Syed Shamsuddin Honoring Judge Frank Caprio: A Legacy of Compassion and Humanity Judge Frank Caprio, the beloved American jurist often referred to as “the kindest judge in the world,” left behind not only a distinguished legal career but also a message that resonates deeply with humanity: “Judge less, love more.” For decades, Judge Caprio served as the Chief Municipal Judge in Providence, Rhode Island. His court, made famous through the television program Caught in Providence, became a symbol of justice blended with compassion. Millions of people across the world were moved as they watched him listen intently to those who came before him—ordinary citizens facing traffic violations, parking fines, or other minor offenses. But what made his courtroom different was not the law itself, but the way he humanized it. Judge Caprio’s decisions reflected a rare understanding: behind every ticket or violation, there is a human story. A struggling single parent rushing to work, an i...

By   Syed Shamsuddin  A Wake-Up Call Ignored — A Broader Reflection on Negligence, Nature, and National Accountability. The recent anecdote shared by Dr. Fakhrul Islam, and thoughtfully relayed via WhatsApp by Karamat Hussain Raja a month back, is far more than a witty reminiscence from the past. It is a mirror held up to the present—a powerful, albeit tragic, commentary on the way we continue to ignore nature’s warnings and encroach upon the spaces that were never meant for human settlement. The disaster in Swat, though only the most recent in a long series of similar catastrophes, calls for deeper introspection, not just about a single flood or region, but about a nationwide culture of administrative negligence and environmental disregard. Dr. Islam’s anecdote features the late Crown Prince of Swat, Miangul Aurangzeb, whose sharp wit was underscored by a profound understanding of natural justice. His fictional exchange with the rivers of Swat was not merely clever storytelli...

By   Syed Shamsuddin There is no denying that Mother Earth is undergoing a steady yet alarming transformation under the crushing weight of the horrific realities of climate change. Scientific reports, weather patterns, and ground realities all point toward a planet in the throes of environmental upheaval. Pakistan is counted among the countries facing some of the severest consequences of this crisis, not only because of its geographic vulnerability but also due to its dependence on climate-sensitive resources. Nowhere is this more evident than in Gilgit-Baltistan, the mountainous region in Pakistan’s far north, often referred to as the country’s “North Pole” for its vast snow and glacier reserves. These glaciers feed the mighty Indus River system, the lifeline of Pakistan’s agriculture, energy, and drinking water supply. The devastation witnessed here—particularly during the past summer—has been unprecedented in both scale and intensity. Flash floods, sudden cloudbursts, and catas...

By   Syed Shamsuddin The other day, I came across a truly fascinating video on Facebook. It showcased how Switzerland, a country with mountainous terrain much like our own, has taken remarkable steps to confront the dangers of sudden mudslides, debris flows, and floodwaters laden with massive boulders. These natural hazards pose a constant threat to communities living in steep valleys, yet Swiss engineers have devised an ingenious solution to lessen their destructive force. The technique involves the installation of three successive layers of high-tensile steel nets, carefully positioned along the course of potential mudslide channels. Each layer acts as a barrier, progressively slowing down, filtering, and dispersing the energy of the rushing debris. Instead of allowing an avalanche of rocks, mud, and water to barrel down unchecked, the nets absorb and distribute the impact, reducing it to a more manageable flow. This simple yet highly effective approach reflects the kind of inn...

 By Syed Shams Uddin Growing Water Stress in Gilgit: The Urgent Case for Groundwater Exploration Gilgit is at a critical juncture in its water security journey. Once sustained almost entirely by glacier-fed channels and streams, the region now faces intensifying water stress due to accelerated glacier retreat, increasingly erratic precipitation patterns, and rapid population growth . This convergence of climate change and demographic pressures is stretching traditional surface water sources beyond their capacity, compelling communities to explore groundwater—accessed through borewells—as a viable supplementary source. The urgency of this search was brought into stark focus by the recent unprecedented flooding in the Manogah Nullah , which devastated the waterscape of Danyore , one of Gilgit’s largest and most densely populated villages. The flood swept away critical irrigation and drinking water channels, plunging thousands of residents into an acute water crisis. In the absence...

By   Syed Shamsuddin Autumn has come to Danyore in the heart of summer — not in color alone, but in spirit, draping the land in grief and loss. Once a sprawling, vibrant settlement on the banks of the Gilgit and Hunza Rivers, it now mourns the passing of its valiant sons who risked everything to save their fellow villagers from one of the greatest calamities in its history. The catastrophe began on July 22, 2025, when the raging waters of the Manogah nullah tore through the lifelines of the village, destroying the delicate waterscape that had sustained its people for generations. The devastation was not confined to the water channels alone. Entire swathes of cultivated land, painstakingly tilled and nurtured over the years, now lie barren. Once-lush orchards, where fruit-laden branches swayed in the summer breeze, are withering into skeletal forms, their leaves pale and brittle before their time. Crops that promised food and income to hundreds of families have shriveled under the ...

By   Syed Shamsuddin The night of 10th/11th August 2025 will forever remain engraved in the collective memory of Danyore as one of its darkest and most heart-rending moments. Without warning, a massive landslide crashed into the Danyore nullah, striking mercilessly at the heart of a noble community effort. At that time, a large number of selfless volunteers — the true sons of Danyore — were toiling deep into the night to re-carve the main water channel that sustains Central Danyore’s very lifeline. A social media post at 8:00 a.m. on August 11 brought the painful clarity of what had transpired. The calamity had claimed the lives of seven young men, all of them engaged at the most vulnerable section of the channel — a section completely obliterated earlier by erosion and landslip caused by the furiously erratic flow of the nullah below. In a race against time, they had labored to rebuild the structure and restore the water supply before Central Danyore went completely dry. Yet in a...

By   Syed Shamsuddin One may have often reflected upon the saying, "Degrees are merely receipts for educational expenses; true knowledge is that which shines through one's character." This succinct yet powerful statement draws a clear distinction between formal education and the kind of wisdom that is lived out through humility, empathy, and ethical conduct . It seems to stem from the collective observation of ordinary people , who, through their interactions with officials and administrators, have come to notice a recurring pattern: an unsettling disconnect between academic qualification and human decency . In many encounters, particularly in bureaucratic or administrative contexts, this disconnect becomes painfully evident . What is especially disheartening is that even officials occupying the lowest rungs of the hierarchical ladder —clerks, assistants, or minor staff—often adopt an air of arrogance or haughtiness , mimicking the behavior of those in higher positions....

By   Syed Shamsuddin A devastating cloudburst over Manogah Nullah has thrown Danyore into turmoil, triggering a crisis that threatens the very lifeblood of this densely populated mega-village. Once a stable and reliable waterscape sustaining both daily life and an agro-forestry-based economy, the area now faces an unfolding catastrophe marked by infrastructure collapse, environmental degradation, and growing public despair. The deluge that began on July 21, 2025, ravaged the village’s two main water arteries: the essential irrigation canal and the piped drinking water supply. These were not mere conveniences — they were critical to survival. The flash flood choked the nullah, disrupted its natural flow, and destroyed the infrastructure that had long underpinned Danyore’s agricultural and domestic life. In the immediate aftermath, local volunteers and the administration moved swiftly to initiate emergency restoration, particularly of the irrigation channel — a race against time t...