QB not to blame for Deosai bear attack

Former American singer Todd Shea, who embraced Islam and is now known as Raja Muhammad Khan, on Wednesday rejected social media claims of negligence in the bear attack on singer Quratulain Balouch while she was camping in Gilgit-Baltistan's Deosai National Park earlier this week.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, Shea said the bear that attacked Balouch had wandered into the campsite in search of food. "The bear came to the park area because it was not finding food due to climate change," he said, adding that police and local residents had confirmed the same.

Balouch, popularly known as QB, was injured on the night of September 4 near Bara Pani when a brown bear entered the tent where she was sleeping. Members of the Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) - the humanitarian group founded by Shea - intervened to drive the animal away before rushing the singer to a medical facility.

"She had no vested interest in being in Deosai," Shea stressed. "Quratulain Balouch did not go to feed a bear. She was there voluntarily, only to assist with community service. This was not recklessness - it was the impact of climate change that brought the bear near the campsite. What is concerning is that people in Deosai had already seen the bear, but no one warned us."

Shea also criticised the lack of support during the emergency, saying that neither the G-B government, local police, rescue agencies, nor park staff provided assistance.

Balouch was later transferred to Skardu Regional Hospital, where doctors confirmed her condition as stable. Her management team has since said she is recovering rapidly, requires complete rest, and that all her public appearances have been postponed until further notice.

In the aftermath of the attack, the G-B government imposed a ban on overnight camping in Deosai. Government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said the restrictions were aimed at ensuring visitor safety as well as protecting the fragile alpine ecosystem, which conservationists warn is under pressure from rising tourism.

Known as the "Land of Giants", Deosai spans more than 3,000 square kilometres at an altitude above 13,000 feet. The plateau is home to rare species including the endangered Himalayan brown bear, snow leopard, ibex, lynx, musk deer, golden marmot and migratory birds.

Shea first came to Pakistan in 2005 as part of a group of Pakistani-American doctors responding to the Kashmir earthquake. He went on to establish CDRS, which for nearly two decades has been assisting disaster-hit communities across Pakistan by setting up medical facilities and providing emergency aid.