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Danyore Manugah Glacier: A Warning That Must Not Be Ignored

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By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook The authorities must move from post-disaster response to anticipatory protection A recent report by Abshar TV Gilgit-Baltistan, dated 14 September 2026 , has drawn attention to a potentially serious hazard above Danyore: the Manugah Nullah and its glacier system , from where a sudden surge of water, ice, debris and boulders could potentially descend towards inhabited areas. The report carries a simple but compelling demand from the local population: an SCOM/mobile communication tower should be installed at or near the Manugah Nullah so that an emergency warning can reach people downstream without delay. This demand deserves immediate attention. It would be a mistake, however, to regard the matter merely as one of installing a telephone tower. What is required is a proper multi-layered early-warning and disaster-ri...
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From Pakistan to Korea: Zahid Hussain Honoured with Sitara-i-Imtiaz for Building Bridges Between Cultures

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By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook A son of the soil of Gilgit-Baltistan, alumnus of Cadet College Skardu, engineer, broadcaster, entrepreneur and cultural bridge-builder, Zahid Hussain has earned national recognition for a remarkable journey that has taken him from the mountains of northern Pakistan to the heart of South Korean public life. The Government of Pakistan has announced the conferment of the prestigious Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) upon Pakistani broadcaster, entrepreneur and cultural liaison Zahid Hussain , in recognition of his services to Pakistan, public service, cultural diplomacy and his sustained efforts to foster a better understanding of Pakistan among the Korean people. The announcement was made on 14 August 2026 , Pakistan's Independence Day, with the formal investiture scheduled for 23 March 2027 , Pakistan Day. For...
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Niat Khan Nomali: The Charlie Chaplin of Gilgit — A Born Artist and Living Cultural Memory

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By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook In a Facebook post dated 9 September 2026 , Tufail Hayat pays a warm and affectionate tribute to Niat Khan Nomali , the renowned artist of Gilgit whose extraordinary gift for spontaneous humour has endeared him to generations of people. To describe Nomali as “the Charlie Chaplin of Gilgit” may perhaps not be an exaggeration. Like Chaplin, he possesses that rare and precious ability to transform ordinary situations into moments of laughter and to bring smiles to people's faces even in times of anxiety, hardship and uncertainty. But Niat Khan Nomali is much more than a comedian or stage performer. He is a born artist and a familiar cultural personality whose name has remained associated with the social and cultural life of Gilgit for several decades. His longevity in public life is remarkable, particularly when viewed against the dramatic t...
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When Filial Devotion Fades: A Shina Poet’s Poignant Reflection on Changing Family Values

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By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook A Shina Poet’s poignant reflection on changing family values and the fading culture of filial devotion The poetry of Murad Ali Shabon , the emerging Shina poet of Bagrote Valley, Gilgit, is remarkable not merely for its linguistic beauty or emotional depth, but for the manner in which it captures the changing psychology of society. His verses often seem to hold a mirror before the community, compelling it to look at itself—its changing relationships, altered priorities and, above all, the erosion of values that once constituted the moral foundation of traditional mountain society. One such composition, recently shared by Bagrote Valley, Gilgit , is a deeply moving lament over the changing relationship between married sons and their ageing parents. Beneath its seemingly simple narrative lies a much larger social commentary: the transformatio...
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Al-Waiz Fida Ali Eisar: A Beacon of Faith, Tolerance and Interfaith Understanding

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook   Al-Waiz Fida Ali Eisar: The Passing of an Era “Death is truly death when an entire age mourns the departed; otherwise, hundreds of people pass away every day.” These poignant words, shared by Israr Osho Thang in his Facebook post of 8 September 2026 , acquire profound significance following the passing of Al-Waiz Fida Ali Eisar , whose death has cast a deep shadow over the intellectual, religious and cultural circles of Gilgit-Baltistan. The sentiment was echoed in a moving condolence message on the same day by Ghulam Abbas, General Secretary, Halqa Arbab-e-Zaoq, Gilgit . Such tributes signify more than personal grief. They reflect the collective sorrow of a society that recognises, in the departure of a distinguished scholar, the loss of a custodian of knowledge, wisdom, tradition and collective memory. De...
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Cancer in Gilgit-Baltistan: A Growing Public-Health Crisis Requiring Urgent Investigation

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook A recent Facebook post by Bol Hunza , dated 4 September 2026 , has drawn attention to what is being described as a worrying increase in cancer cases in Gilgit district. The post voices a concern increasingly being heard within local communities: that cancer appears to be affecting an unusually large number of families, while the underlying reasons remain insufficiently understood. Whether the perceived increase reflects a genuine rise in incidence, improved detection and reporting, population changes, or a combination of several factors is a question that cannot be answered through anecdotal observations alone . What is urgently required, therefore, is systematic data collection, epidemiological investigation and scientifically sound research. A Concern That Cannot Be Ignored The observation that “almost every hou...
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Monica of Bagrote: When Anthropology Became a Bond of the Heart

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By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook THERE are people who visit a place for a few days, admire its scenery, take photographs and return home with pleasant memories. There are others who enter a community not merely as visitors, but as students of its people, culture, language and way of life —and, in the process, become so deeply attached to it that the distinction between an outsider and an insider begins to disappear. When Anthropology Became a Bond of the Heart Monica, an anthropologist from Germany, appears to belong to the latter and rather rare category. Nearly three decades ago, some 28 years back, Monica came to Bagrote Valley in connection with her anthropological research. What began as academic fieldwork gradually developed into something much deeper. She did not remain a distant observer of the community. She lived among the people, int...
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