The Prime Minister’s Secretariat has invited three shepherds from Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer Valley for national recognition after their courageous actions saved almost 300 people from a devastating flood in Roshan-Talidas, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Earlier, the GB Chief Minister had announced a provincial-level acknowledgment of the heroes. Faizullah Faraq, spokesperson for the GB government, identified the shepherds as Ansar Anjum, Wasiat Khan, and Muhammad Jan, who used the limited SCOM network to warn villagers and authorities. Their timely alerts led to mass evacuation before the flood struck. The federal government will now honor them for their bravery.
In Talidas, technical teams from the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) have devised standard operating procedures for the safe release of water from a newly formed lake. Meanwhile, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has deployed heavy machinery to restore road links within 48 hours. The Pakistan Army, on the instructions of the Chief of Army Staff, has also established medical relief camps in Roshan and Talidas, where over 600 patients have been treated and tents and rations provided to displaced families.
Residents, however, continue to press for long-term rehabilitation, demanding restored connectivity and the relocation of safer campsites. Authorities noted that water levels in Roshan Nala have fallen by 40 feet, easing the immediate threat, though constant monitoring is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Gilgit-Baltistan Advocacy Forum (GBAF) voiced alarm over the extent of destruction from recent floods, landslides, and glacier lake outburst floods (GLOF). Official statistics reveal that at least 35 lives have been lost, seven people remain missing in Diamer, and nearly 1,000 houses have been damaged — including 318 destroyed and 674 partially affected. The forum has urged the government to ensure a climate-resilient recovery, strengthen early warning systems, and adopt gender-sensitive approaches in relief distribution.
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