Four tourists from Gujrat go missing in Gilgit-Baltistan

GILGIT: Four tourists from Gujrat district, Punjab, have gone missing while traveling from Gilgit to Skardu, police confirmed on Thursday.

The missing individuals have been identified as Suleman Nasrullah, Wasif Shehzad, Umar Ehsan and Usman Dar.

The tourists last contacted their families on the night of May 15, when they departed from Gilgit for Skardu. Gilgit DIG Mirza Hassan told HUM News English that the tourists went missing in the area between Jaglot and Dambodas.

According to Hassan, the group left Hunza for Skardu on the night of May 15 and spent the night at a local hotel in Danyore. They resumed their journey towards Skardu next day. Their mobile phone signals were last detected in Jaglot, after which they went offline, and no further trace has been found.

He noted that the vehicle neither passed through any security checkpoints along the route nor captured on any CCTV cameras.

The DIG mentioned that the road was prone to accidents, raising concerns that they may have met with an accident. However, police are actively working to locate the missing tourists.

HELP US

On the other hand, family members of the missing tourists have appealed to the public for assistance. They urged anyone with information about their whereabouts or the vehicle to immediately contact the nearest police station or call the provided helpline numbers.

In a video circulating on social media, a relative also appealed to the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister, Pakistan Army’s Force Command Northern Areas commander, chief secretary, and other senior officials to intervene and support the ongoing search efforts.

Gilgit-Baltistan’s terrain is notoriously difficult for tourists to navigate in personal vehicles. Although the weather was clear at the time of their travel, travelers in the past have faced challenges due to harsh weather conditions. From August 2023 to December 15, 2024, a total of 46 road traffic accidents were reported along this route, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.

THE SEARCH IS ON

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 Skardu’s two teams launched a search operation on the Jaglot-Skardu Road (JSR) to locate the missing tourists. They are conducting the operation at various locations from the Kachura check post to the Shingoos area of Skardu.

During the search, the teams obtained records of tourists’ arrivals and departures from police check posts and gathered information from local hotel owners and residents to gather potential evidence about the missing tourists. They also searched potential accident sites.