ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army has rescued ailing Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig from the K2 base camp in the country’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, the Pakistani military said on Sunday.
Baig, a renowned Pakistani mountaineer, was leading an international K2 expedition, comprising Pakistani and Italian woman climbers.
She had to quit the expedition on July 5 after her health deteriorated seriously, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
An army aviation flight could not airlift Baig because of bad weather in the area and she was now being transferred to GB’s Skardu city via road.
“Samina Baig’s health has improved due to decrease in height, while a team of doctors of Pakistan Army is also ready at CMH (Combined Military Hospital) Skardu,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Samina Baig’s further transfer from Skardu will be decided after evaluating her health condition.”
Baig is the first Pakistani woman mountaineer to summit the world’s highest peak Everest and K2. She has also scaled Nanga Parbat and the Seven Summits in seven continents.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 mountains that loom above 8,000 meters, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, which are known for their treacherous climbs.
These mountains attract climbers from all parts of the world. According to official figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited the remote Gilgit-Baltistan region in 2023 where the summer climbing season runs from early June to late August.
Earlier this month, a 64-year-old Japanese climber, who summited the 7,027-meter high Spantik “Golden Peak” mountain, was found dead near Camp II of the mountain, according to Pakistani officials. The mountaineer, Onishi Hiroshi, fell into a crevasse, a deep crack formed in glaciers or ice sheets, while descending from the peak.
In June, Pakistan’s army rescued Estonian climber Saama Marie who injured her leg while attempting to scale Nanga Parbat.
Army rescues ailing Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig from K2 base camp
https://arab.news/bwy4w
Army rescues ailing Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig from K2 base camp
- Baig was leading an international expedition, comprising Pakistani and Italian woman climbers
- She had to abandon the expedition on July 5 after her health condition deteriorated seriously
Pakistan PM to attend World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland next month
- The WEF meeting, scheduled to be held in Davos on Jan. 19-23, will focus on global challenges, public-private dialogue and cooperation
- Government, business, civil society and academia leaders will engage in forward-looking discussions to address these issues, set priorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Switzerland next month to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The WEF annual meeting, themed as ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ will be held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 in Davos, where world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to interact with global leaders and investors on economic challenges, regional and international issues and various opportunities for cooperation.
On Monday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting in Islamabad to oversee preparations for Sharif’s upcoming visit to Switzerland to attend the WEF meeting, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Dar instructed to maximize the engagements with the incoming Heads of States, Governments and senior leadership of economic, business and financial institutions,” the report read.
The WEF meeting program will be structured around key global challenges where public-private dialogue and cooperation, involving all stakeholders, is necessary for progress, according to the WEF website.
In addressing these challenges, growth, resilience and innovation will serve as cross-cutting imperatives, guiding how leaders engage with today’s complexity and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities.
Pakistani foreign ministry officials briefed the deputy PM about preparations for the WEF meeting, according to Radio Pakistan. The participants of Monday’s meeting in Islamabad discussed in detail the bilateral component and media engagements during the visit.
“He [Dar] further stressed that opportunities be explored to foster collaboration with private sector business entities,” the state broadcaster said.
