Sunday

PML(N) should also announce any package for families of Kargil martiers says Shamim Baig

RDs Report
HUNZA, Altit, May 25: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) should also announce any package for the families of martiers of Kargil war, took place between Pakistn and India in 1999. These views were expressed by Shamim Baig, a renown civil society member at IDPs camp Altit.Talking to media persons, she said that people of this area like others of Gilgit-Baltistan are hardworking one. "They have turned barren places into cultivated fields and orchards and any damage to their property will definitely hurt them mentally and physically as well", she added. She claimed Pakistan used to deploy people especially soldiers in crucial times like that in Kargil, who are later impersonate and given no reward in case of their death. She urged national government to announce any package to support those all families who lost their loved ones in the egoistic war of two countries.

In the mid of knot [Featured Report]

RDs Times
By: Shams-ud-din Muhammad
With every passing day,where fears, and apprehensions among residents of down stream and upstream areas have mounted as the gossips of out burst of the land slide spawned lake are running from person to person. Amidst uncertainties, majority of local population on both sides of the blockade who are mostly casual earners seem in hot waters financially. Lacking any alternative source of income, on either side, neither from agricultural nor trade activities, already being suffered on account of land slide disaster have left them without work. Where, the population of Upstream areas like Shishkat, Ayeenabad, Gulmit and Gulkin especially those along the river are struggling for their lives, save property damage have an ambition for proper compensation which seems a hard task for authorites which took more than two months to process the move due to their lethargic and non serious attitude. Simarly, those who are settled in down stream areas right from Ahmedabad have also lost peace of mind following a hipe of outburst of the naturally formed lake in an undefinite time line. Apart from finical problems population of the area are facing currently, people have started to think for their future filled with uncertainties. According to media reports, mere fifteen feet remains to over flow via spill way which has increased burdens on Western ends.

GOJAL, Hunza: A file photo of natural lack spawned by land slide has submerged many cultivated fields, orchards, a main contributor to livelihood of residents.

There exists two types of opinion regarding the post over flow situation. According to the first, the was no chance of out burst of lake for it is protected by heavy rocks against water flow in a narrow gorge and starched for a kilometer and at 120 degree from water base level.They argue that such a well stretched blockade that guards against water flow will allow mere fifty percent if the rate of water entry increase from streams of Gojal, Upper Hunza. In accordance with experts view, if the base protected with heavy rocks sustains, it will reduce exerting pressure on Western end; consequently there is no chance of outburst of lake. Otherwise, debris consolidated with heavy rocks, stretched to more than a kilometer would resists water flow and there was least chance of out burs of banks of the lake. While another group argues that with high rate of melting of glaciers in sunny days will exert more pressure on passage along the spill way by rapid erosion will finally force lack to break lake on various points would resulted into floods, enough to disconnect region from rest of the country. So in case of increase burden with the overflow on spill way, erosion at center and different points would allow more water to release, that may turn into flood as water will make its way through erosion in puffed soil thus endangering land links especially bridges along Karakorum High Way (KKH) . Besides sudden increase in water level with the breakage of glaciers that further stretched length of the lake, influx of electronic and print media and their constant coverage has developed a chaotic situation on both sides. Main land links like that of main bridge between Danyore and Giligt has been removed by regional authorities. where, the issue has got both national and international exposure, there felt few anti social tendencies like price hikes, hoarding and black marketing of essentials especially that of subsidized flour being sold in commercial markets at higher rates under different labels. Tyrannically, local administration, which largely depends on dictation from still lakes proper planning and not clear about the presence of stock in case the areas disconnects from rest of the region.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's recent meaningless visit has sparked agitation from affectees who earnestly waited for a special package from a premier of the country. Consequently, affectees with the support of masses and civil society members resorted to agitation for the fulfillment of announcements made by the regime during last two months. Obviously,despite of frequent visits of political and civil administration along the heads of concerned departments served to bring little good rather a trailer being played to tempt spangle eyes of public.
There are certain reservations and claims regarding the authorities on part of regional political administration even under the new province like set up. Despite of claims of current regime, that implies for greater authority delegated by center on pattern of provinces,some people still argue that in reality the region is governed via triaka: Minister Kashmir Affairs, FCNA generals and Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan who run the population like cattle.
It was impending on political and civil administration to leave no stone in providing every possible relief to affectees of the calamity in either form to a large portion of population expressing dissatisfaction over capacity and capability to tackle such disasters and make efficient efforts to win the support of masses of the area.

Army helicopters replaces boat with chopper service ahead of water release

RDs Times Monitor
HUNZA, Aliabad, May 23: PakistanArmy's helicopters continued its mission to shift commuters and essentials after replacing boat service with chopper once again ahead of release of blockade water and as the gap between spill way and water level shrinks rapidly for last ten days.

Boat service has been suspended to reduce any mishap in case of outburst of lake since last two days. Similarly, none was allowed by officials to reach closed to water level as a preventive measure.
The choppers will continue its mission if the climate remain favorable till the definite time period, sources told voice of Hunza.

Courtesy: www.voiceofhunza.blogspot.com

Saturday

Watoo, CM overviews relief operations;

Urges local administration to cooperate, ensures immediate rehabilitation
Monitoring Report
HUNZA, Altit, Aliabad, May 21: Minister Kashmir Affairs Mian Manzoor Watoo, Syed Mehdi Shah, Chief Minister GBLA, Speaker Wazir Baig GBLA, Zamarud Khan, Managing Director, Baitul Mall Pakistan and government official visited Altit and Karimabad disaster relief camp to overview the operations. Before returning to Gilgit, Mr.Watoo met commuters stranded at Aliabad and Gulmit on the first day of resuming of chopper service.

HUNZA: Chief Minister Mehdi Shah along with officials leaving Hunza after a detailed visit to affectees relief camps

Answering to questions of affectees of Shishkat at Heli pad, Aliabad Mr.Watoo said that current democratic government was fully aware with the problems of disaster hit people saying they would not be left alone in this critical situation. He said that on advice of national government, ministry of Kashmir affairs was also looking the situation carefully. On last day of his two days visit, he chatted commuters about their problems personally.

HUNZA, Aliabad: Zamarud Khan along with Wazir Baig after talking with affectees meeting with officials

Zamrud Khan, Managing director, Baitul Mall Pakistan also ensured affectees before departure to provide with them financial assistance in consultation with the Kashmir Affair ministry. Salman, a resident of Shishkat Upper Hunza asked national government via ministry of Kashmir affairs to provide children of affectees with scholarship for their studies and immediate compensation to all those who lost their property into blockade water. Mr. Watoo ensured them to provide all facilities announced by the government in past.

HUNZA, Aliabad: Mian Manzoor Watoo is talking to Salman, a resident of Shishkat village before departure.

Courtesy: Voice of Hunza

Thursday

Affectees blame NDMA, NHA authorities for negligance, non-serious attitude; demands for unbaised probe into matter



RDs Time Report
HUNZA, Shishkat, May 16: Affectees of Upper Hunza specially that of Gulmit and Shishkat have blamed National Disaster Managment Authority (NDMA) and National High Way Authority (NHA) for lake of serious attitude towards the release of water. Talking to our correspondance, dwellers of aforementioned settlements criticised top leadership of both organizations for providing misleading report before national government and international donner agencies as well as financial irregularities in funds for debris removal and airlift services.


SHISHKAT, Upper Hunza: Lager portion of Shishkat is being submerged in rising water of the lake
Locals criticised both NDMA and NHA for huge property loss and slow pace of debris removal work demanding unbaised probe into matter and failure to meet deadlines from second week of February to breach into water.


GULMIT, Upper Hunza:Rapid rise in water level has turned Gulmit and Gulkin villages into peninsula



Monday

Ramazan Ali passes away

HUNZA, Hyderabad, May 10: Ramazan Ali, a renown icon and social worker was passed away at the age of seventy two, here at Hyderabd, Hunza Khurukushal, his ancestral place.

He was famous for heavy weight and frankness will others and spent most of his time in Skardu Baltistan while making his lively hood for many years. He was injured in stove explosion and later got fractured in left leg in an incident later. He was under treatment and breathed last on Sunday at 9:00 AM. He was buried in community grave yard before hundreds of mourners.
Courtesy: voiceofhunza.blogspot.com

Tuesday

Lack of demand for funds from centre regional government's incompetency: Hafeez-ur-Rehman

Monitoring report
GILGIT, May 03: Chief Organizer Pakistan Muslim League (N), Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman has said that lack of demand for development initiatives from centre was the failure and incompetency of the Gilgit-Baltistan government. Talking to a regional daily, he said that due to lack of financial resources, proposed development projects are on perill. He claimed that there was no such thing like government saying every organ of system seems to halt. He claimed that due to reduction of more than 250 million rupee annualy, majority of the development initaitives have been affected.
He said that PPP has government both at center and region saying it should use the opportunity to
get more funds to get the projects completed. Daily Urdu, K2.

Hunza an oasis of peace and order in crime-infested state

Monitoring desk
By:By Kamila Hyat, Gulf News Correspondent
LAHORE, May 03: Pick up any newspaper, whether in Urdu or English or in a regional language in the country, and stories narrating details of crime flash across pages. There is a reason why this fascination is growing. "I cannot think of anyone who hasn't encountered theft or robbery or something else of that kind either directly or indirectly. Street crime, such as the snatching away of mobile phones, is growing too," said Ayaz Haider, a tailor.But even while crime rates soar in most parts of the country, there are places still in existence where violence and crime is almost unknown. The mountainous region of Hunza, tucked away in the north of Pakistan, is one such zone. "It is a beautiful place not just because of the snow-capped peaks and the apricot blossoms, but because the people too are so serene and so content," said Shumaila Hassan, who holidays in Hunza almost each summer. It is possible to learn lessons from the means found by people there to keep their region safe from the wave of crime that has taken grip of so many other parts of the country. Despite poverty, even petty crime is extremely rare in Hunza, and house doors for the most part remain unlocked. This is in stark contrast to the barred, padlocked gates seen elsewhere.

Evidence:-
Few studies have been conducted by sociologists to understand this phenomenon. But the anecdotal evidence that exists, and has been confirmed by visitor after visitor as well as local people, suggests a strong community spirit, combined with a highly organised ‘neighbourhood watch' system aimed at detecting any wrongdoing is the key to this.Even children are involved in the effort and have been used to prevent tourists from littering, marring walls with graffiti or engaging in other anti-social acts commonly seen almost everywhere else.
"We train our children to do what is good for all," Hazir Shah said.
Older citizens recall a time when a similar community spirit existed even in the largest cities. Of course each of these urban centres has changed and grown vastly in size over the decades, making such mutual caring difficult.Indeed with this expansion has come a plethora of problems. The influx of people into cities in search of jobs means there is a constant shift in populations and little chance to gain familiarity with all those who live in a specific locality. But even then, nurturing a sense of community similar to that in Hunza may prove the only way to tackle rampaging crime and all the problems it brings. Gulf News