����ֱ��

KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: Local social activists in Pakistan’s northern Hunza Valley are demanding strict action against hotels operating around Attabad Lake for failing to meet environmental standards, after a video by a foreign vlogger alleging untreated sewage discharge into the lake went viral on social media this week.

Attabad Lake was formed in 2010 when a massive landslide blocked the Hunza River, killing 20 people and submerging villages and a stretch of the strategic Karakoram Highway that links Pakistan to China. Over the years, the lake has become a major tourist attraction, driving a boom in hotel construction along its banks.

Following the viral video by travel vlogger George Buckley, officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GBEPA) and local administration inspected the hotel’s premises and sewage facilities on Tuesday.

“We have fined Rs 1.5 million ($5,300) on [Luxus Hunza Attabad Lake Resort] hotel after the inspection,” Khadim Hussain, a director at the EPA, confirmed to Arab News.

“A portion of the resort has been sealed for the period of three months. And if they don’t develop a waste treatment plan within the stipulated period of time, the [whole] facility will be sealed and imposed more fines.”

He added: “The action against the hotels that are not complying [with] environmental standards continues in the region before the video of a foreign vlogger.”

Residents say pollution caused by unchecked hotel expansion is now threatening Attabad Lake’s clear blue water, which draws thousands of tourists every year.

“Solid waste is becoming a big issue in the surrounding areas of Attabad Lake and especially on river banks due to the construction of hotels,” Shahid Hussain, a local social activist and politician, told Arab News by phone.

“When the level of the water [in the lake] increases during summer, the level of sewage waste in soakage pits also rises and merges into the lake. This is deteriorating the natural beauty of Attabad Lake.”

He stressed:

“The environmental protection authority has fined one hotel. And this is not a permanent solution. The administration and EPA should give a proper mechanism to protect nature and clean water.”

Another activist, Zahoor Ilahi, echoed the call for tougher enforcement.

“Initially, when locals started to build miniature resorts and hotels, the municipal and district administration teased the locals in the name of NOC [No Objection Certificate],” he said.

“Later big investors came to the region and built big hotels, and there is no treatment plant for sewage waste. If the [Luxus] hotel has no treatment plan, then the whole resort should be sealed instead of imposing a fine on them.”

Ilahi warned that untreated wastewater could also threaten local drinking water projects:

“A project is underway to supply drinking water from Attabad Lake for central Hunza under a federal PSDP project. So, the protection of clean water is very much needed. If the government fails to protect the clean water, it will multiply the miseries of locals.”

In a Facebook post, the Luxus Resort rejected the allegations.

“Attabad Lake formed in 2010. Before Luxus Hunza opened its doors to tourists in 2019, no one had experienced this majestic lake up close. This lake has been home for us for the last six years. It is the reason and purpose of our existence. To dump sewage water into the lake would be like desecrating our own house. We have never nor will we ever dump a single liter of waste water into Attabad Lake,” the hotel management said.

It added that the cloudy appearance of the lake near the hotel was due to natural sediment from mountain streams mixing with the clear lake water, not sewage discharge.

Arab News attempted to contact a representative of Luxus Hotel Hunza for further comment but did not receive a response by the time of filing this report.
 

ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistani schools have this week been named among the Top 10 finalists for the World’s Best School Prizes 2025, prestigious global awards founded by T4 Education to spotlight exceptional schools transforming education and communities.

T4 Education is a global digital platform and community founded to empower teachers and schools to share best practices and drive positive change in education worldwide. It launched the World’s Best School Prizes to spotlight schools making an exceptional impact beyond the classroom.

Winners of the five World’s Best School Prizes — for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives — will be announced in October following evaluation by an expert Judging Academy and a global public vote. Finalists and winners will share their insights at the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi in November.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif commended the management, teachers and students of the three Pakistani schools: the Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust Higher Secondary School and Nordic International School, both in Lahore, and the Beaconhouse College Program Juniper Campus in Quetta.

“These schools have made a name for themselves in terms of modern curriculum, research, technology, environment, development of backward and rural areas,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.

“These educational institutions have made the country’s name known all over the world.”

Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust Higher Secondary School in Lahore has been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prize for Overcoming Adversity. The charity school, which began in an abandoned factory, now educates nearly 800 students from marginalized backgrounds through the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program. It is the first in Pakistan to offer this curriculum to underserved communities, empowering students with critical 21st-century skills and bridging socio-economic divides.

Beaconhouse College Program, Juniper Campus, Quetta, is a finalist for the Community Collaboration prize for its “Science Gaari” initiative — a student-led mobile science lab bringing hands-on STEM education to remote schools in Balochistan, one of Pakistan’s most underserved provinces. The project has reached over 150 schools, boosting science engagement and inspiring rural students to pursue careers in technology and research.

Nordic International School Lahore has also been named a finalist for Community Collaboration. The independent school emphasizes strong parental involvement and a culture of kindness to foster a supportive learning environment. Parents are engaged throughout students’ academic journeys via an interactive app, regular workshops, and celebrations of learning milestones.

“It is in schools like Sanjan Nagar, BCP Juniper Campus Quetta, and Nordic International School Lahore where we find the innovations and expertise that give us hope for a better future,” T4 Education Founder Vikas Pota said.