The Ghanche District () is a district of Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the eastern-most district of Gilgit-Baltistan. It is the coldest place within Pakistan as it is situated to the "third pole", with temperatures reaching below -20 °C in the winter. The Khaplu Valley and the Hushe Valley form the gateway for the great Baltoro Muztagh, the subrange of the Karakoram Mountains that includes the mighty peaks of K2 (8,611 m), Broad Peak (8,047 m), the Gasherbrums (8,000+ m) and Masherbrum (7,821 m),all of which are also included in the Skardu District).
Etymology
The word "gang" in the Balti language means "glacier", and '"che" is used as a superlative term to indicate "an abundance". The word is used by the residents of the Khaplu Valley in the name of the Ghanche Nallah, a seasonal stream which flows through the town of Khaplu during the summer season. When the Pakistani government elevated the status of the Ghanche Tehsil to that of a district, the people of the valley willingly selected the name "Ghanche".
Administration
The Ghanche District is divided into Six tehsils:
Khaplu Tehsil
Daghoni Tehsil
Masherbrum Tehsil
Chorbat Tehsil
Ghowari Tehsil
Keris Tehsil
The six tehsils are divided into 56 union councils, with each council containing many villages. Four villages of the Chorbat Valley were lost in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Those were the villages of Chalunka, Thang, Turtuk, and Tyakshi. . Some of them are given in the chart below.
Religion
The majority (almost 95%) of the people living in Ghanche District belong to Shia Islam, with the rest belonging to the Noorbukshi Sunni sect. A religious leader locally called a "bowa" has a very important place in Ghanche society.
Tourism
Ghanche is one of the most visited tourist destination in Pakistan. Famous places to visit in Ghanche are:
Barah valley
Keris Valley View Point (Chanma) Aastana Mir Mukhtar Keris (Tomb) Yabgo palace Keris Jerba So Keris (Lake) Khashal Agri Tourism Park Ghowari Dongsa Rock View Point Kuro Balghar Ranga
Thally Broq
Crystal Lake Soga
Saling Spangtoq (Trout Fish)
Chaqchan Mosque Khaplu
Yabgo Palace Khaplu(Sereena Palace)
Thoqsi Khar Khaplu
Haldi Coneas
Hushe Valley (K2 Gateway) Machulu Valley Mashbrum View Point Hot Spring Kondus Gyari Yadgar e Shuhada Frano Border (Last Village Of Pak/Indian Border)
Education
According to the Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, Ghanche is ranked 29th out of 141 districts in terms of education. For facilities and infrastructure, the district is ranked 118th out of 155.