Nearly 400 passengers traveling between Gilgit and Rawalpindi have been stranded in Kohistan following a landslide that blocked Karakoram Highway (KKH). A landslide has blocked currently the only land access route between Gilgit and Rawalpindi near Sumar Nulla in Kohistan’s Dasu region. Passengers traveling on the route have been stranded for nearly 12 hours now.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have made arrangements for the safety and security of the passengers in the harsh cold weather. Meanwhile, Kohistan district administration has asked for a bulldozer and other necessary machinery to open the route for traffic.

The district administration has said that the landslide area will be cleared for traffic before Tuesday evening so that the passengers on both sides could proceed to their destinations.

The stranded passengers include women and children as well. Luckily, there are small hotels and shops nearby that will offer some relief of basic necessities in the hard times.

The northern region of Pakistan is facing an on-going spell of heavy snowfall. Karakoram Highway is prone to landslides during rainfall and snowfall. Lack of even the most basic facilities put passengers in a very difficult position in such times.

The two other routes that connect Gilgit to Rawalpindi, i.e. Shandur Pass and Babusar Pass, remain closed during winters due to heavy snowfall.

Gohar Abbas from Hunza district of Gilgit-Baltistan has been shortlisted for Foreign Press Association Media Awards 2018 for his story Heaven and Hell: ancient Silk Road barter trade continues. Gohar works for Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Islamabad. He has been shortlisted under the category “travel and tourism story of the year”.

Gohar Abbas

Gohar is competing against Fuchsia Dunlop of FT Weekend Magazine (Eating in North Korea) and Nicola Smith of The Daily Telegraph (Danger in Paradise).

The winners of the Foreign Press Association Media Awards 2018  in all categories will be announced on 26th November.

Another Pakistan correspondent and producer Asad Pabani Pakistan has been shortlisted for Thomson Foundation Young Journalist from the Developing World. He has covered stories like “The curious case of Youhanabad”, “Billion tree tsunami” and “President Weah appoints Attorney General with questionable integrity”.

Gohar Abbas covering Faizabad Dharna for AFP

The Foreign Press Association Media Awards is regarded as the “Oscars of Journalism”. In an annual event, the association awards journalists, producers, documentary filmmakers and radio hosts in 13 categories. The Foreign Press Association also works to promote excellence in journalism.

Gohar Abbas is the first journalist from Gilgit-Baltistan to be shortlisted for this award. He hails from Gojal, Upper Hunza and covers stories from Gilgit-Baltistan region.