By Syed Shams Uddin A WhatsApp message shared by Karamat Hussain Raja on July 6, 2025, offers a striking portrayal of the human experience as one enters the twilight years. Titled "On the Road to Eighty," the post draws upon public data, medical insights, and emotional realities to convey the challenges, vulnerabilities, and wisdom that come with growing old. Seventy: A Defining Threshold Turning seventy is described as a critical life milestone, universally regarded as the point at which one enters old age. With sunset approaching the horizon, life begins to take on a more reflective tone. Official statistics suggest that only 44% of individuals survive beyond seventy, stepping onto the “road to eighty.” The Decade of Seventy to Eighty: A Test of Endurance This decade is framed as a difficult and eventful passage, marked by: Accelerated aging, where all bodily organs begin to irreversibly decline, much like a machine nearing retirement. A surge in health complication...
By Syed Shams Uddin | July 7, 2025 The climate clock is ticking loud in Gilgit-Baltistan. As the region reels under searing temperatures and glacial instability, the latest reports from across the mountainous north point to an escalating environmental emergency—one that threatens both the ecological balance and the lives and livelihoods of its people. The Pakistan Meteorological Department recently recorded a scorching 48.5°C in Chilas, Diamer district, marking it the hottest spot in Gilgit-Baltistan. Not far behind was Bunji, which also posted dangerously high temperatures. These figures are more than just numbers—they are warnings of an accelerating meltdown. Rising Heat, Melting Ice Such intense heat is rapidly melting the glaciers that define and sustain this land. Gilgit-Baltistan, often referred to as the 'third pole' due to its dense concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions, is home to over 7,000 glaciers that feed the mighty Indus River. These ice reserv...