Perfectly mummified body found in glacier 28 years later

Naseeruddin, also known as Hajo, was discovered on August 1 in the remote Lady Valley of Kohistan, in eastern Pakistan, nearly three decades after he vanished.

A local shepherd named Umar Khan, who frequents the area during summer, found the man’s perfectly mummified body (preserved in ice).

A national identity card in the pocket confirmed the man’s identity as Naseeruddin, who was 33 at the time of his disappearance. He was the son of Bahram from the Saleh Khel tribe.

Local witnesses said the body’s clothing and features were largely intact, protected by the glacier’s extreme conditions.

Naseeruddin disappeared in 1997 while returning from Sapit Valley with his horse.

Family members reported that he had fallen into a glacial fissure, and extensive searches at the time yielded no results.

The recent thawing of the glacier exposed the body, prompting renewed attention to a case long buried by time.

Naseeruddin’s family had relocated from Pallas Valley to Alai Tehsil years after his disappearance, following a violent family dispute.

His younger brother Gardezi was killed in what was described as an honour-related conflict, and both Naseeruddin and another brother, Kaseeruddin, went into hiding.

Retired police officer Abdul Aziz recalled that the region had minimal law enforcement presence in the late 1990s, leaving many crimes unresolved.

Bahram, Naseeruddin’s father, was arrested but later released due to the plaintiff’s lack of interest in pursuing the case.

Kaseeruddin, who was with Naseeruddin during the 1997 journey, told The Express Tribune that they had chosen a secluded route to avoid danger.

He remembered hearing gunfire and said Naseeruddin tried to hide in a cold cave but was never seen again.

Meanwhile, a symbolic funeral prayer was held at the site after initial searches failed to recover the body.

Now, with the remains found, Kaseeruddin has returned to Lady Valley to decide whether to bury his brother there or transport him to their ancestral home.

Experts say the glacier’s cold, dry, and oxygen-poor environment can naturally preserve human remains for decades.

Dr Muhammad Bilal of COMSATS University Abbottabad explained that such conditions lead to mummification.

Dr Adnan Ahmad Tahir noted that glaciers in northern Pakistan are melting rapidly, revealing long-hidden artefacts and remains.

July 2025 brought record-breaking temperatures to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, accelerating the melt.

Lady Valley, known for its pastures, lakes, and forests, remains a seasonal destination for local herders.

According to Kohistan Additional Deputy Commissioner Aminul Hassan, reaching the valley requires a three-hour drive followed by a gruelling fifteen to eighteen-hour hike.

Naseeruddin, also known as Hajo, was discovered on August 1 in the remote Lady Valley of Kohistan, in eastern Pakistan, nearly three decades after he vanished.

A local shepherd named Umar Khan, who frequents the area during summer, found the man’s perfectly mummified body (preserved in ice).

A national identity card in the pocket confirmed the man’s identity as Naseeruddin, who was 33 at the time of his disappearance. He was the son of Bahram from the Saleh Khel tribe.

Local witnesses said the body’s clothing and features were largely intact, protected by the glacier’s extreme conditions.

Naseeruddin disappeared in 1997 while returning from Sapit Valley with his horse.

Family members reported that he had fallen into a glacial fissure, and extensive searches at the time yielded no results.

The recent thawing of the glacier exposed the body, prompting renewed attention to a case long buried by time.

Naseeruddin’s family had relocated from Pallas Valley to Alai Tehsil years after his disappearance, following a violent family dispute.

His younger brother Gardezi was killed in what was described as an honour-related conflict, and both Naseeruddin and another brother, Kaseeruddin, went into hiding.

Retired police officer Abdul Aziz recalled that the region had minimal law enforcement presence in the late 1990s, leaving many crimes unresolved.

Bahram, Naseeruddin’s father, was arrested but later released due to the plaintiff’s lack of interest in pursuing the case.

Kaseeruddin, who was with Naseeruddin during the 1997 journey, told The Express Tribune that they had chosen a secluded route to avoid danger.

He remembered hearing gunfire and said Naseeruddin tried to hide in a cold cave but was never seen again.

Meanwhile, a symbolic funeral prayer was held at the site after initial searches failed to recover the body.

Now, with the remains found, Kaseeruddin has returned to Lady Valley to decide whether to bury his brother there or transport him to their ancestral home.

Experts say the glacier’s cold, dry, and oxygen-poor environment can naturally preserve human remains for decades.

Dr Muhammad Bilal of COMSATS University Abbottabad explained that such conditions lead to mummification.

Dr Adnan Ahmad Tahir noted that glaciers in northern Pakistan are melting rapidly, revealing long-hidden artefacts and remains.

July 2025 brought record-breaking temperatures to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, accelerating the melt.

Lady Valley, known for its pastures, lakes, and forests, remains a seasonal destination for local herders.

According to Kohistan Additional Deputy Commissioner Aminul Hassan, reaching the valley requires a three-hour drive followed by a gruelling fifteen to eighteen-hour hike.