Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif awarded cash prices on Monday to three shepherds of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) who saved around 300 people by warning against an explosion of imminent glacial lake in the Ghizer district.
Sharif presented RS2.5 million checks to Wasit Khan, Ansar and Muhammad Khan at the Prime Minister’s house in Islamabad, praising their courage and their presence of mind.
“You are the heroes of Gilgit-Baltistan,” said the Prime Minister. “Because of your timely action, the whole Pakistani nation, including myself, is proud of you.”
He added: “Your early warning allowed the area to be evacuated over time and saved hundreds of lives. This act of service to humanity will always remain in memories.”
براہ shutout راست: گلگت بلتستان کےوصیت خان ا انصاراور Cerse
– Government of Pakistan (@govtofpakistan) August 25, 2025
The Prime Minister said that the Ministry of Climate Change tried to strengthen early GB alert systems. “We create an integrated system so that timely alerts can help avoid urgent or disaster,” he said.
The three shepherds thanked the Prime Minister for recognition. “With the blessing of Allah, we were able to save lives and we are grateful to him for this success,” they said.
A timely warning of a local shepherd turned out to be a rescue buoy for the entire population of the village of Roshan in the Ghizer district, saving them from a sudden devastating flood early Friday morning, while the flooding alerts praised by the state did not sound new, hardly prove more than dead weight.
The incident has rekindled a debate on the wisdom of indigenous knowledge on the ruthless GB, where nature often calls for blows.
Managers confirmed that Roshan, located about 200 kilometers from Gilgit, was completely overwhelmed. Although no life was lost, residents have lost all their household effects and their cattle.
Find out more: Shepherd’s alert completely saves the village of GB
According to the villagers and local authorities, the tragedy was avoided solely because of the presence of spirit of the shepherd. While taking care of his cattle in the mountains, he noticed signs of an imminent flood.
Using his mobile phone, which had a functional SIM card, he immediately alerted the villagers. Its appropriate appeal caused a mass evacuation for a few moments before flood waters launched through the colony.
“He is our Savior. We are all sleeping and would have met a tragic spell if he had not informed us,” said Shakir Hussain, a resident of the village of Roshan. “A simple shepherd did what millions of equipment rupees could not. All these expensive machines in the name of” precaution “are useless.”
Read also: The number of deaths of KP floods crosses 350
In recognition of his rapid reflection, the senior police official Faisal Sultan awarded the shepherd of 10,000 rupees, while the local community is thinking of honoring a medal.
The alertness of the shepherd has led to the gaps in the government’s early alert (EWD) devices. Although they were installed at great spending through GB to give alerts in a timely flooding and floods of overflowing the glacial lake (GLOF), the systems failed to ring the alarm during the recent floods which cost life to 40 people and left much more injured in areas where the devices were operational.
The incident to Roshan reflects another event in Gulmit, Gojal, where about 60 volunteers managed to escape a sudden flood at the last moment after the traditional observation methods gave them a critical warning.
