Gilgit-Baltistan | Pakistan

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday addressed the 78th Independence Day celebrations of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), lauding the region’s historic and ongoing contributions to Pakistan’s development.

The first spell of snowfall in the Gilgit-Baltistan region has brought a cold and frosty wave across the northern areas.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a rain alert for the federal capital, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan, cautioning about possible adverse weather conditions over the next 12 to 24 hours.

Traders in Gilgit-Baltistan ended their over two-month-long sit-in at the Sost Dry Port on Saturday, paving the way for the resumption of trade and tourism via the Pakistan-China border at the location. The protest was launched in July against the government’s taxation policies and suspension of customs clearance at the port. Trade leader Javed Hussain, who led the protest, told Dawn.com, that the announcement about traders ending the protest ending was made by the supreme council — a body that had represented the them in talks with the federal and GB government. Following the negotiations, Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari had announced on Wednesday that the government had agreed to tax exemptions on imports coming through the Sost Dry Port — provided that the goods were for local consumption and meet strict eligibility conditions. The total annual value of tax exemptions was capped at Rs4 billion. However, expressing dissatisfaction over the negotiations’ results, GB traders had decided to cont...

A trophy hunting permit for Pakistan’s national animal, the Markhor, was auctioned for a record-breaking Rs100 million (approximately $370,000) in Gilgit-Baltistan under the region’s annual Trophy Hunting Program.

Two large lakes have emerged following glacial outbursts in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Ghizer district following flooding caused by heavy rain this month, regional officials said on Saturday. A glacial burst, or glacial lake outburst flood (glof), refers to an outburst of water from a glacial lake which could lead to severe flooding downstream. At least 200 people were rescued after a glacier burst in GB, blocking the Ghizer River a day prior. Due to yesterday’s glacial burst, water containing debris and heavy stones fell into the river and stopped it from flowing for eight to nine hours. “The water remained standing, causing river water to spread for seven kilometres and become an artificial lake,” provincial government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq told Dawn.com. Meanwhile, the GB Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) said that the Ghizer River changed course in the district on August 4 and began flowing over the Gilgit-Chitral Road. “A lake measuring 2,000 feet long and more than 50 metres wide has emerged in ...

At least 200 people were rescued after a glacier burst in Gilgit-Baltistan blocked the Ghizer River, threatening the downstream areas, Rescue 1122 said on Friday. A glacial burst, or glacial lake outburst flood (Glof), refers to an outburst of water from a glacial lake which could lead to severe flooding downstream, effectively blocking or overwhelming rivers in its path. Pakistan is home to over 13,032 glaciers, the largest reservoir of glaciers outside of the polar regions. However, experts have warned that about 10,000 glaciers in Chitral and GB have been reported to be receding due to climate change–induced temperature rise. A statement from Rescue 1122 said, “200 people have been rescued from flood-affected areas and have been shifted to Ghizer’s Yangal and Samal areas.” “Several people have been traumatised after [their] houses were destroyed. Medical assistance is being provided to the affected people,” it added. In another statement issued earlier today, Rescue 1122 said, “A terrible incident of glaci...

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has launched a large-scale flood relief operation in Gilgit-Baltistan to assist families stranded in remote valleys following recent floods.

GILGIT: Flash floods continued to wreak havoc across Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday, leaving one person dead, eight injured, and dozens displaced. Roads and bridges were swept away, thousands — including tourists — remained stranded at multiple locations, and electricity, mobile, and internet communication were disrupted in the region. Cloudburst-triggered flash floods hit multiple areas, adding to the misery of local communities. According to the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), a nine-year-old boy, Zulqarnain Haider, tragically lost his life in a landslide while returning from the summer pasture to his village, Hanochal in Haramosh Valley of Gilgit, on Saturday. Addressing a press briefing, GB Home Minister Shams Lone said that the Baltistan Highway bridge had been swept away, cutting off four districts of Baltistan from Gilgit for a second consecutive day. Cloudburst-triggered floods leave 9-year-old boy dead in Haramosh Valley; portion of Naltar Highway and Baltistan Highway bridge sw...

GILGIT: At least ten people, including children, lost their lives due to flash floods in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Thursday, government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed. Eight people died in Ghizer district while two siblings lost their lives in Diamer, the spokesperson said. Four others, including children, sustained injuries in the two districts. The deceased include a […]

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a warning of accelerated snow and glacier melt in Gilgit-Baltistan as temperatures in the region remain 7-9 degree celsius above normal.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the completion of the 100-megawatt solar power project in Gilgit-Baltistan within a year, vowing to personally monitor its progress.

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a 100-megawatt solar photovoltaic power project for multiple locations across Gilgit-Baltistan, fulfilling a commitment made by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif just two days earlier. According to the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing, work on the Rs24.957 billion project will begin immediately and […]

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved a 100 megawatt solar photovoltaic power project for Gilgit-Baltistan, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. It added that formal work on the project would now commence. The prime minister had announced during his recent visit to GB that Ecnec would soon approve the 100MW power plants. The report said that Central Development Working Party had already approved the project and it would benefit the districts of Astore, Darel, Tangir, Diamer, Ghanche, Ghizer, Gilgit, Hunza, Ishkoman, Nagar, Roundu, Skardu and Shigar. It added that Skardu district would be provided with 18.96MW of electricity in the first phase; the districts of Hunza, Gilgit and Diamer would be supplied with 6MW, 28MW and 13MW of electricity, respectively, in the second phase and the remaining districts would receive 16.1MW of electricity in the third phase. The project is set to be completed within three years at a total cost of Rs24,957 million. In June, protest demonstr...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has delivered on his commitment to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, as the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a 100-megawatt solar power project for the region.

GILGIT: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced a Rs4 billion relief and rehabilitation package for flood-affected areas of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif distributed compensation cheques among floods/rains-affected families in a ceremony held in Gilgit. Addressing the ceremony the Prime Minister said that each family who lost a loved one received Rs1 million, […]

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday for a one-day visit to assess flood-affected areas, meet with the provincial leadership, and oversee relief efforts for displaced families.

GILGIT: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit flood-affected areas of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) tomorrow (Monday), where he is expected to announce a relief package for the victims of recent floods. According to official sources, the federal government will provide financial assistance under the Prime Minister’s Relief Package. The families of those who lost […]

Authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan have issued a fresh alert amid forecasts of heavy rainfall, warning of potential glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslides, and flash floods in the mountainous region.

At least nine people, including two women and two children, have lost their lives in the ongoing flood emergency in Gilgit-Baltistan, while 10 to 12 others remain missing, according to government spokesperson Faizullah Firaq.