KHAPLU: The body of a man who went missing 28 years ago has been discovered on a melting glacier in northern Pakistan, bringing long-awaited relief to his grieving family.
The remains of 31-year-old Nasiruddin were found near the edge of the Lady Meadows glacier in the Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Locals spotted the well-preserved body on 31 July as the glacier continued to shrink due to rising temperatures.
Nasiruddin had disappeared in 1997 after he and his brother fled into the mountains following a village dispute.
He fell into a crevasse during the escape, while his brother survived.
“Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years,” said Malik Ubaid, Nasiruddin’s nephew.
He explained that relatives had made repeated attempts to recover the body over the years, even visiting the glacier multiple times.
“Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn’t possible,” he said.
Nasiruddin, who used only one name, was a husband and father of two at the time of his disappearance.
His identity card was found intact on his body, helping to confirm who he was.
A local shepherd discovered the body, and he was buried the following day.
“Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body,” Ubaid said.
Kohistan is located in the outer reaches of the Himalayan range and is known for its remote, mountainous terrain.
Pakistan holds over 13,000 glaciers, the largest concentration of glacial ice outside the polar regions.
However, global warming linked to human-caused climate change has accelerated glacial melt across the region. – AFP
