SOST TODAY

Light tremors were felt in Hunza and nearby areas at around 7:45 PM local time. According to initial reports, an unconfirmed 4.1-magnitude earthquake was recorded 97 km north of Gilgit.

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗱.) 𝗬𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘁-𝗕𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻

Islamabad, November 25, 2025 (SOSTTODAY)
Justice (Retd.) Yar Muhammad Nasir has been appointed as the caretaker chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, according to a notification issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan Council Secretariat on Tuesday.

The notification states that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, in his capacity as Chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan Council, approved the appointment under Article 48-A(2) of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order, 2018. It adds that the caretaker chief minister will take oath before assuming office, as required under the First Schedule of the GB Order, 2018.

The document, signed by Joint Secretary Sudher Khan Khattak, has been circulated to the President’s Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Law and Justice, Chief Secretary GB, and other relevant federal and regional departments.

Justice (Retd.) Yar Muhammad Nasir previously served as a judge of the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court. He belongs to Nasirabad in District Astore and has held various positions in the judicial service, beginning his career as a civil judge before serving as a District and Sessions Judge. He later worked as Registrar of the GB Chief Court and was subsequently elevated as a judge of the Chief Court.

During his judicial career, he heard several significant cases and also served as a member of the Election Tribunal, dealing with matters relating to nomination papers and electoral disputes. Following his retirement, he continued his professional engagement in the legal field and is currently associated as a mentor with The Legal Acumen, where he provides guidance on constitutional, civil, and appellate matters.

𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘅 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹, 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘇𝗮

𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺

HUNZA (Special Correspondent) — An unusual rise in appendix cases has been reported from the remote valley of Shimshal in District Hunza, sparking serious concern among local residents.

According to community sources, more than 25 people from Shimshal have undergone appendix pain in recent weeks, most of them children and young adults. On Wednesday alone, 19 patients were referred from Shimshal to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Aliabad, while 9 others had already been transported to Hunza and Gilgit earlier.

Local reports indicate a severe shortage of healthcare services in the area. There is no ambulance service available between Shimshal and Central Hunza, forcing families to hire private vehicles for patient transport. Residents said they are paying between Rs20,000 and Rs25,000 to reach Gulmit or Aliabad, while appendix surgeries at the Aga Khan Health Centre cost around Rs80,000.

Sources at DHQ Hospital Aliabad confirmed that only one surgeon is currently available to perform appendix operations. Due to the lack of pediatric facilities, children under 13 years of age are being referred to Aga Khan Health Services.

Despite limited resources, the local health staff in Shimshal—particularly the nurses—have played a vital role in saving lives through timely diagnosis and treatment. However, the absence of a permanent doctor, lack of ambulance services, and poor road conditions have further aggravated the crisis.

Residents have appealed to the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Department of Health, the Deputy Commissioner Hunza, the Assistant Commissioner Gojal, Aga Khan University, and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) to urgently investigate the causes and improve healthcare facilities in Shimshal.

𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘁 — 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘁-𝗕𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗵𝗱𝗶 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗶 𝗭𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘁.

𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿, 𝗖𝗠, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗮𝗱𝗴𝗮𝗿-𝗲-𝗦𝗵𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗮

GILGIT: Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah, Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, and Force Commander FCNA laid floral wreaths at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada (Martyrs’ Memorial) on the occasion of Gilgit-Baltistan Liberation Day on Saturday.

The ceremony was held to honour the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the 1947–48 war for the liberation of Gilgit-Baltistan. The officials offered prayers for the souls of the martyrs and paid tribute to their courage and dedication.

Senior civil and military officials, along with representatives of various departments, were also present at the memorial ceremony.

The event marked the beginning of the region’s Liberation Day celebrations, observed every year on November 1 across Gilgit-Baltistan to commemorate the day when the local forces freed the region from Dogra rule.

Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah and Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Gulbar Khan attended the ceremony held in connection with the Gilgit-Baltistan Liberation Day celebrations.