Pakistan imposes five-year ban on new hotel construction near northern lakes

GILGIT: Pakistan has announced a five-year ban on building new hotels near scenic lakes in the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, in an effort to protect the environment from unchecked tourism-driven development.

The move comes amid growing concerns over rapid and unregulated construction in the area, which is home to about 13,000 glaciers, the largest concentration outside the polar regions. Gilgit-Baltistan’s dramatic landscapes, which include towering mountains, ice-blue lakes, and cherry orchards along the Old Silk Road, draw tens of thousands of visitors each year.

But in recent years, a surge in construction, often led by companies from outside the region, has put immense pressure on local resources. Water and power supplies have been strained, while waste management systems struggle to cope.

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“If we let them keep building hotels at this rate, it will turn into a concrete jungle,” said Khadim Hussain, a senior official at the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency. “People don’t come here to see concrete. They come to experience natural beauty.”

Public concern grew last month after a foreign tourist posted a viral video on Instagram, showing a hotel discharging wastewater directly into Lake Attabad — a freshwater source for the Hunza region. Authorities responded by fining the hotel over $5,000.

Locals and activists have welcomed the ban. Asif Sakhi, a political activist from the Hunza Valley, said rapid development under the banner of tourism was “destroying our natural lakes and rivers”.

Shah Nawaz, a local hotel manager, also supported the decision. “Protecting the environment and natural beauty is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.

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