HAH Report Islamabad (Feb 27): Two books on the oral tradition of Pamiri Kyrgyz people living in Turkey have been published. Authored by renowned Kyrgyz folklorist and ethnographer Dr Sulaiman Kaiypov, the books Proverbs and Sayings of the Pamiri Kyrgyz Living in Turkey, and Funeral Laments of the Pamiri Kyrgyz Living in Turkey, have been published with the support of the University of …

ISLAMABAD Russo-Polish climber Denis Urubko has called off his attempt to summit K2 alone during winter, a post on his former teammates’ Facebook page said Monday after a weekend drama saw him begin what another climber had called a suicide mission. Urubko, 44, was part of a team of Polish mountaineers attempting to be the first to scale the world’s …

Anayat Baig KARACHI: Academics, student activists, and journalists emphasized the importance of freedom of expression and role of student unions in the promotion and strengthening of democratic culture and values on campuses and in society. They held academics responsible for self-censorship, espousing anti-politics narrative, reinforcing the legacy of dictatorship and reducing the chances of the 60 percent youth bulge to …

Ali Ahmed Jan & Asif Sakhi Islamabad Police in Pakistan has gained notoriety for their misuse of authority, corrupt practices, brutality, highhandedness, and violence against the working class and hapless people. The Punjab police have become a symbol of fear and brutality which is evident from the rising number of complaints against the force. People, mostly from far-flung areas like Fata …

HAH Special ISLAMABAD (Feb 26): A Russian-Polish mountaineer has launched the first solo attempt to summit K2 — the world’s second-highest peak — during winter, in what fellow climbers described as a reckless decision. Denis Urubko, 44, was part of a team of Polish mountaineers attempting to be the first to scale the 8,611-meter (28,251 feet) K2 in winter, but broke …

High Asia Herald Report ISLAMABAD In the neonatal intensive care department of an Islamabad hospital, scrawny infants struggle for survival — victims of a vacuum in resources and education in the country with the highest newborn mortality rate in the world. “In Pakistan, a baby dies every second minute,” says Haider Shirazi, head of the neonatal department at the Pakistan …

Special Correspondent Lawyers of Gilgit-Baltistan held a protest rally outside Chief Court Gilgit on Friday against the arrest of a senior lawyer and socialist leader Ehsan Ali. They chanted slogans against the police officers and district administration for instituting FIRs against their leader on trumped-up charges and subsequently putting him behind bars. They marched from the city to the chief …

Najam Sethi   As #Pakistan turns 70, the cry for “change” becomes ever more shrill and violent. On the surface, it is an angry rally for an end to “corruption” because of everyone – young and old, male or female, rich or poor, Sindhi or Punjabi, Shia or Sunni, religious or secular, urban or rural – is morally and politically …

HAH Correspondent SKARDU, Aug 14: All is set for highest cold desert jeep rally being held this week. About 200 drivers from abroad, Pakistan and locals will participate in the event, officials told The High Asia Herald on Sunday. The #Sarfa #Ranga in #Shigar District of #Baltistan Division, about 20km off Skardu, is one of the highest cold deserts in …

Amir Hussain Terms such as ‘the environment’ and ‘climate change’ are used interchangeably in development parlance and policy discourses in Pakistan. However, both terms denote entirely different concepts, not only as subject matters of scientific inquiry but also in terms of their implications as development challenges and as components of the social policy. Climate change is about anthropogenic or human-induced …

HAH Correspondent   HUNZA, Aug 8: A social media activist has been detained by the Hunza District police, The High Asia Herald has learnt through credible sources. According to the sources, #Hasnain #Ramal, a prominent political and social activist had been very vocal in highlighting public issues on social media. He has detained under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATC) and #Cyber #Crime …

Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Aug 7: The people of mountain regions like #Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) are bearing the brunt of the climate change and mega projects. However, their voices are not being heard at the policy level and hence, the food security of the local population especially linked with agriculture is being seriously jeopardised. This was the crux of views expressed by …

Noor Akbar Gohar GAHKUCH (Ghizer District), July 13: Complete shutter-down strike was observed by traders here on Thursday against frequent prolonged power outages. The call for the shutter down strike was given by the Gahkuch Bazaar Committee. It has become a norm of the day that people are subjected to unscheduled power outages for long hours, a trader told the …

“Sectarian thinking is contagious and rapidly spread.” ― Moutasem Algharati   The issue of sectarian violence in Gilgit-Baltistan cannot be analysed through an idealised view that tends to paint the region as an idyllic paradise where no violence ever occurred before the advent of modernity. The reality is that sectarian violence has been a part of the history of Gilgit-Baltistan. Throughout …