Window to Gilgit-Baltistan

By Syed Shams Uddin July 2, 2025 Once to be hailed as the “Shangri-La of Asia,” Gilgit-Baltistan is now sounding a distress signal that the world can no longer afford to ignore. This northern frontier of Pakistan, known for its towering peaks, verdant valleys, and some of the largest non-polar glacial reserves on Earth, is undergoing a dangerous transformation. Its glaciers—those silent sentinels of the Karakoram and Hindukush ranges—are not merely melting. They are warning us.Recent social media reports indicate an alarming rise in river flows, posing a serious threat to vital communication infrastructure. This underscores the growing impact of climate change across regional valleys and calls for an urgent, comprehensive survey by the relevant environmental protection authorities to recommend both short- and long-term mitigation measures. Cracks in Paradise: From Bagrote to Nagar and Beyond From the awe-striking Gargo and Khama Glaciers in Bagrote Valley to the fast-depleting icef...

By Syed Shams Uddin In a world where public offices often become bastions of inaccessibility and bureaucratic indifference, a resident of Gilgit-Baltistan took to Facebook on June 29, 2025, to pay tribute to a civil servant from the Planning Department of Gilgit-Baltistan. Though the official's name eludes recall despite diligent attempts to retrieve the original post, the essence of the message remains vivid. The official was lauded as a rare exception—an embodiment of compassion, humility, and ethical responsibility. The heartfelt post resonated widely, offering a refreshing and inspiring glimpse of what public service can—and should—truly represent. While numerous government functionaries adopt airs of arrogance, distancing themselves from the very people they are meant to serve, this official was praised as “the beautiful face of the entire region.” The tribute did not merely flatter; it carefully illustrated the character, behavior, and moral choices of an individual whos...

By Syed Shams Uddin In the digital age, social media has emerged as one of the most transformative tools in shaping public discourse and influencing administrative responsiveness. While it initially began as a platform for social interaction, over time it has evolved into a dynamic medium through which citizens can voice grievances, flag official misconduct, and highlight systemic issues with immediacy and reach that traditional means of communication often lacked. This evolution has deep implications for governance in developing democracies such as Pakistan. At the heart of good governance lies the ability of the state to respond to the needs and concerns of its citizens in a timely and just manner. However, the bureaucratic machinery, often burdened by red tape, resource constraints, and entrenched hierarchies, has historically struggled to provide swift redress to public complaints. For the common citizen—especially those from marginalized segments—this often meant resorting t...

By Syed Shams Uddin The Light That Once Was: A Lament and a Call for Renewal in Gilgit-Baltistan “There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, The earth and every common sight, To me did seem Apparell’d in celestial light, The glory and the freshness of a dream.” — William Wordsworth There truly was such a time in Gilgit. A time when the rhythm of nature shaped daily life, and the land flowed with a quiet, unspoiled grace now almost unimaginable. For those of us who lived through the 1960s and earlier, Gilgit-Baltistan was not merely a picturesque landscape — it was a realm of serenity, harmony, and purity. Even the most ordinary scenes seemed suffused with something ethereal. At the heart of this tranquil world was the Gilgit River — the pulse of the valley. Fed by ancient glaciers, its waters ran pure and icy, safe to drink straight from the banks. Children splashed and played along its shores; women washed clothes in its current; entire households depended on it, without h...

By Syed Shams Uddin As global awareness grows around the threats of climate change, countries like China have begun implementing radical solutions such as forest cities — urban spaces where buildings are covered with thousands of trees and plants to mitigate air pollution and rising temperatures. While such grand innovations may seem out of reach for economically modest regions like Gilgit-Baltistan, their underlying philosophy — that of integrating nature into urban design — is deeply relevant, perhaps even essential, for our part of the world. The environmental challenges faced by Gilgit-Baltistan are stark and immediate. Once characterized by clean mountain air, glacial rivers, and green valleys, many parts of the region are now under siege from unplanned urban expansion, haphazard construction, and the rapid loss of vegetation. Increasing tourist influx, combined with infrastructure pressures and population growth, has led to the mushrooming of concrete dwellings — often at t...

By Syed Shams Uddin A recent Facebook post by The Sacred Science casts an evocative and illuminating spotlight on the ancient, potent tradition of shamanism—particularly the sacred practice known among its initiates as “spiritual journeying” into what is termed non-ordinary reality. Rooted in indigenous wisdom that spans continents, this transformative practice transcends the physical plane, allowing practitioners to commune with benevolent spirits for healing, insight, and guidance. The post resonates deeply—especially for those familiar with the mountain cultures of Gilgit-Baltistan, where such traditions, though often cloaked in secrecy, have been whispered about for generations in twilight gatherings beside hearth fires. For the people of Gilgit, this post rekindles memories of one of the region’s most enigmatic and revered spiritual figures: the legendary shaman of Satmaski, Zarbiali of Bagrote Valley. A figure celebrated as both healer and mystic, Zarbiali looms large in th...