ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said Sunday that an army helicopter rescued two mountain climbers, an American and a Finn, who were stranded on a peak in the country’s north.
The brief military statement said the climbers, Donald Allen Bowie of the US and Lotta Henriikka Nakyva of Finland, were stranded during the ascent “due to sickness,” without elaborating.
The two climbers were part of a winter expedition to the 26,000-foot (8,000-meter) Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain. It’s located in the Karakoram range on the border of Pakistan, India and China. The Karakoram range is among a complex of ranges including the Himalayas.
Broad Peak is located around 6 miles (10 kilometers) from K2 mountain, the second highest peak in the world.
In March, an Italian and a British climber died on Pakistan’s Nanga Parbat, known as “Killer Mountain” because of its dangerous conditions.
Pakistan rescues US, Finnish mountain climbers by helicopter
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Pakistan rescues US, Finnish mountain climbers by helicopter
- Two climbers were part of a winter expedition to the 26,000-foot Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain
- They were stranded during the ascent “due to sickness“
Government says Pakistan’s IT exports hit record monthly high in December
- Finance adviser says IT exports crossed $400 million for first time in a month
- Pakistan aims to double exports to $60 billion in four years, with IT a key driver
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information technology exports climbed to a record $437 million in December, crossing the $400 million mark for the first time on a monthly basis, the government’s finance adviser Khurram Schehzad said in a social media post on Monday.
The surge underscores the growing role of the tech sector as Pakistan seeks to boost exports while emerging from a prolonged economic crisis that drained foreign exchange reserves, widened balance-of-payments pressures and weakened the currency.
The government is now aiming for export-led growth as part of broader structural reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program.
“December 2025 exports reached $437 million — crossing $400 million in a month for the first time ever,” Schehzad said in a post on X, adding that this represented 23 percent month-on-month growth from November and 26 percent year-on-year growth compared with December 2024.
For the first half of the current fiscal year, IT exports reached $2.24 billion, up 20 percent from a year earlier, making the sector the largest and most consistent contributor within services exports, he said.
Pakistan has been under pressure to sharply lift exports as it works to stabilize its economy.
Earlier this month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the country must double its exports to $60 billion within four years or risk returning to the IMF.
Pakistan’s IT exports have been on a steady upward trajectory in recent years. They reached a record $3.8 billion in the 2024–25 financial year, according to official data.
The momentum has carried into the current fiscal year, with IT exports posting 19 percent year-on-year growth during the first five months from July to November.
Exports during the period stood at $1.8 billion, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan.
The government has said it sees the technology sector as a key driver of foreign exchange earnings and job creation as Pakistan seeks to lock in recent macroeconomic gains and attract new investment.
