Renowned Spanish mountaineer falls to death on the ‘savage mountain’ News Desk Ten climbers from Nepal set a new world record on Saturday by becoming the first to reach the summit of K2, the world’s second highest mountain, in winter. On the same day a Spanish climber from a separate expedition to the savage mountain fell to his death. Sergi …

By Rehmat Karim Gilgit-Baltistan has been a region known for its enchanting green valleys, lofty snow-clad mountains, glaciers, fresh air, prestine streams, and plentiful organically-grown crops, vegetables and fruits. Besides, it has always been considered one of the most prominent regions for long life expectancy in the word. Most of us have seen the documentaries shown on several national and …

Building and road division of the PWD department officials, contractors and representatives should be made accountable for their involvement in plundering public money and delay in completing the Rs20m project Naveed Toshee & Qurban Rahim Chipursan road issue has once again popped up in media and not for good reason. A photo, showing a portion of the road collapsed, is …

Dr Lara Karasik Gahvora (cradle) is the oldest device which has been used by families for centuries in High Asia and Central Asia regions for containing and cradling of babies. It is still preserved in Badakhshan, Pamirs, Kashgar, Srikol, Hunza, Ghizer and Broghel, Chitral for newborn babies rearing. It is noteworthy that even among modern families in cities, you easily …

The top-down conservation policies are meant to dispossess people of their land, livelihood and resources By Ali Rehmat The conservation, environment and development policies and strategies in Pakistan have remained problematic both for the government and the communities living in the protected areas. At times the implementation of the government’s top-down exclusionary policies have met resistance from communities. In the …

High Asia Report GILGIT:  An accountability court on Tuesday accepted the application of Shah Salim Khan, a former member of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly for bargain to pay Rs51 million he had embezzled in Sost Dry Port scam. Justice Khurshid Ahmed of the Accountability Court Gilgit approved the plea bargain on the recommendation of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regional office. The …

by Aziz Ali Dad Let me start this review of the book “Hunza Matters: Bordering and ordering between ancient and new Silk Roads” by indulging in subjectivity. In 2015, I was a Crossroads Asia fellow at Modern Oriental Institute in Berlin, Germany. As a part of socialization, we interacted with different researchers and members of academia. On one weekend my …

by Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro The people of Gayal village in Darel valley of Gilgit-Baltistan use intricate decorations for an ancient mosque, writes anthropologist Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro Gayal village in Darel valley of Diamer district is believed to have been established about two centuries ago when the descendants of Dudu moved out of Lelo Kot.  The old village was situated about …

Of the total 14 political prisoners, 10 have been so far freed in three phases. AWP leader Baba Jan, Iftikhar Karbali and two others are likely to be released on November 27 and 30. High Asia Herald Report GILGIT: Five more political prisoners were freed on Tuesday, ending their nine years’ incarceration in Gahkuch jail as well as a long …

Staff Reporter Islamabad: Protests continue against alleged sexual harassment of a female student by an official of the Karakoram International University Gilgit.   Over a dozen activists of Young Activists Movement (YAM), Progressive Students Federation (PrSF) Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan (AWPGB) and Women Democratic Front (WDF), staged a protest demo outside National Press Club in the federal capital on …

By Ashiq Ali Broghil, the most neglected valley in Hindu Kush Mountains, need government attention The Pamiri Wakhi people live in the remotest and mountainous regions around Pamir Knot in four countries of High Asia — Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan and Pakistan. In Pakistan the Wakhi people live in three regions – Chitral’s Broghil Valley in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Hunza District’s Gojal Sub-Division, …

GILGIT: Four more prisoners were released from Damas jail in Ghizer District on Friday. According to a notification issued by the Home Department of Gilgit-Baltistan, the authorities have issued release order of Aleemuallah Khan, Musa Khan, Irfan Ali and Shukrullah Baig. The interim government/home department with the consent of presiding Judge of Anti-Terrorism Court has ordered the release of the …

Amir Hussain It might have been a chilly Saturday with clouds of victory hovering over the defence lines of Gilgit Scouts on November 1, 1947. It was a historic day when a legion of local military men of Gilgit Scouts revolted against the Dogra ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). These men in uniform overthrew the …

More than 73 years since its independence, Gilgit-Baltistan remains subject to barely disguised colonial rule to await genuine enfranchisement. While many of Pakistan’s ethnic peripheries harbour deep grievances against the authoritarian and extractive logics of the country’s statecraft, GB is arguably the only region that remains explicitly deprived of even basic democratic, constitutional and human rights. It was only in …

Mushtaq Ahmad There is a long history of global pandemic and epidemics, but there is also evidence that all these have been challenged by man. Consequently, there have been great losses of human lives coupled with social and economic vicissitudes as well. At the same time, every major crisis brings opportunities to rethink our systems and make them stronger to future …