September 22, 2025
Web desk
Chitral: Civil society representatives, environmental experts and political leaders have voiced deep concern over the alarming rate at which glaciers in Chitral are melting, warning that the crisis could endanger not just the region but the entire country.
The concerns were raised at an emergency meeting on Saturday, convened by Sartaj Ahmed Khan under the “Save Chitral, Save Pakistan” movement. Participants included experts, activists and former political leaders, who unanimously stressed that urgent steps were needed to protect Chitral’s glaciers.
Sharing his recent observations, Mr. Ahmed said he was shocked to witness the rapid retreat of glaciers in Broghil Valley, noting a dramatic shift compared to just a decade ago. He reminded the gathering that glaciers in Broghil, particularly the Chiantar glacier, feed the Kabul River, which sustains agriculture in Peshawar Valley and other plains.
“Losing Chitral’s glaciers means losing Pakistan’s water lifeline,” he warned.
Speakers pointed out that Chitral hosts 543 glaciers, many of which are now classified as endangered. They described these glaciers as “towers of water,” stressing that their disappearance would trigger devastating consequences far beyond the valleys of Chitral. Several participants suggested launching a nationwide movement to protect the glaciers and raise awareness about the looming environmental disaster.
Prominent voices at the meeting included DG Kalash Valleys Development Authority Minhasuddin, former district nazim Maghfirat Shah, Syed Harir Shah, Ijaz Ahmed, Dr Noorul Islam, former MPA Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, and others.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the District and Sessions Court in Lower Chitral sentenced a man to one year in prison along with a fine of Rs100,000 for possessing 440 grams of hashish. The drugs were recovered from his residence in Zhitoor village during a police raid in 2022. The court ruled under Section 9(C) of the KP Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 2019, with an additional 10-day imprisonment in case of non-payment of the fine.
