ISLAMABAD: An Italian mountaineer who along with five other climbers narrowly survived an expedition in Pakistan, burst into tears Thursday as he recalled helplessly looking on as one of his Pakistani colleagues was swept away by an avalanche at an altitude of around 5,300 meters (17,390 feet) earlier this week.
Team leader Tarcisio Bellò, 57, well known in mountaineering circles, was descending a peak in the Ishkoman Valley on Monday in the northern district of Ghizar when he and the rest of the group were caught in an avalanche, killing Pakistani Mohammad Imtiaz, whose body has yet to be retrieved, and injuring the rest. An army helicopter successfully rescued the six stranded climbers Tuesday.
The rescued climbers were initially treated at a hospital in the town of Gilgit and they arrived at a hotel in the capital Islamabad on Thursday, where Bellò in an interview with The Associated Press praised the Pakistan army for saving them.
He also promised to come again on another expedition. “Life is an adventure and it should not stop before death,” he said.
The four surviving Italians mourned the death of their fellow mountaineer, saying they would do whatever possible to help his family.
Bellò said he was happy to soon be rejoining his family but was “devastated” over the death of Imtiaz, who was killed when the avalanche hit the group suddenly, despite nice weather. He said it was supposed to be a “simple climb” that turned into a nightmare.
The “mountain suddenly changed and felt as if the whole mountain had fallen on us,” he said.
Bellò said despite injuries to his right arm, leg and shoulder, he continued helping the team members to reach a camp, which their injured guides and porters had also reached.
Sobbing, Bellò recalled how two sisters of the slain Pakistani mountaineer who were also part of the team, despite their own injuries, insisted on climbing to the area where the body of their brother was buried in a snow. He said they wanted to cover the body with some cloth, saying it was “too cold” there and that “our brother is alone.”
“It was not possible to do it,” he said.
Bellò said the remaining climbers waited helplessly for a rescue helicopter, which reached them a day after the incident.
Mountaineers from across the world travel to Pakistan every year to try scaling its high northern mountains. Harsh weather and other climbing conditions often prove a test for the most experienced of climbers.
Earlier on Thursday, three Pakistani mountaineering officials said a search team had spotted the bodies of two climbers, one from China and the other from Hong Kong, who went missing last week while scaling a peak in northern Pakistan.
The officials said the two died amid harsh winter weather. Their bodies were spotted Wednesday at the Liligo glacier in the north. Their bodies still haven’t been retrieved. A military helicopter rescued a third expedition member, also from Hong Kong.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
Surviving Italian climbers mourn death of Pakistan colleague
Surviving Italian climbers mourn death of Pakistan colleague
- Italian mountaineer Tarcisio Bellò along with five other climbers narrowly survived expedition in Pakistan
- Pakistani climber Mohammad Imtiaz was killed when the group was hit by an avalanche
Pakistan says economy stabilizing as it looks to 2026 growth
- Inflation averages 5 percent, remittances hit $16.1 billion as government cites signs of recovery
- IT exports, industry and development spending highlighted as focus shifts to next year’s targets
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s economy has shown signs of stabilization in the first half of the current fiscal year, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday, as the government looks ahead to sustaining growth momentum into 2026 after several years of economic volatility.
Briefing the media on economic performance through November, Iqbal said key indicators including inflation, industrial output, exports, remittances and fiscal revenues had improved, creating what he described as a more stable base for forward planning.
Pakistan has spent much of the past two years navigating high inflation, external financing pressures and fiscal tightening under an IMF-backed reform program. While growth remains modest, officials say recent data suggests the economy has moved out of crisis mode and into a consolidation phase.
“During July to November of fiscal year 2025–26, stability has returned to Pakistan’s economy,” Iqbal said, adding that average inflation during the period stood at around 5 percent, compared with 7.9% last year, easing pressure on households and businesses.
Large-scale manufacturing posted growth of 4.1 percent, which Iqbal described as “clear evidence of recovery in industrial activity.”
The planning minister said government revenues also improved, with Federal Board of Revenue collections reaching Rs4,733 billion ($16.9 billion) during July–November, reflecting a 10.2% increase.
External inflows remained resilient, with workers’ remittances rising 9.3% to $16.1 billion, while IT services exports increased 19% to $1.8 billion over the same period, he said.
On the public investment side, Iqbal said Rs196 billion ($700 million) were released under the development budget during the quarter, of which Rs92 billion ($329 million) had already been spent. He added that cost rationalization in development projects between July and October saved Rs3.3 billion ($11.8 million) billion in public funds.
In November, the planning minister said, the Central Development Working Party approved 10 development projects, while six major schemes were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.
Iqbal said the approved projects were expected to create 994 immediate jobs, with nearly 24,859 direct and 40,873 indirect employment opportunities projected overall.
Looking ahead, he said all future development schemes would be required to comply with green building codes to ensure environmental protection and sustainable growth.
He also highlighted skills and innovation initiatives, saying that under the “Uraan Pakistan” program, partnerships with Oxford and Cambridge universities were being pursued to promote research, technology and innovation.
Under an IT industry revival plan, he said more than 20,000 young people were being trained in advanced technologies, with over 14,000 new jobs expected to be created.
The government has said maintaining macroeconomic stability while gradually lifting growth remains its central challenge as Pakistan moves into 2026, with officials emphasising disciplined spending, export growth and job creation as key priorities.
