The mystery surrounding a Pakistani man who disappeared nearly three decades ago has been resolved after his body was discovered preserved in glacial ice in the country’s mountainous north.
Naseeruddin, who was 31 at the time, went missing in June 1997 while travelling through the Supat Valley in Kohistan, a remote region known for its harsh terrain. He left behind a wife and two children, and despite years of searching, his family found no trace of him.
“Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years,” his nephew, Malik Ubaid, told AFP. “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.”
On July 31, the long search ended when a local shepherd, Omar Khan, spotted human remains emerging from melting ice. An identity card found on the body confirmed it was Naseeruddin.
“What I saw was unbelievable,” Khan told BBC Urdu. “The body was intact. The clothes were not even torn.”
Experts say the man’s remains were naturally preserved after being rapidly frozen in the glacier, which shielded the body from oxygen and moisture. Pakistan has about 7,000 glaciers and has recorded accelerated ice melt in recent years due to rising temperatures and reduced snowfall.
This gradual melting is believed to have exposed Naseeruddin’s body after 28 years, bringing long-awaited closure to his relatives.
“Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body,” Ubaid said.
Scientists note that retreating glaciers around the world are increasingly revealing long-hidden human remains, as warming temperatures uncover what the ice preserved for decades or even centuries.