KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday appreciated Pakistani women for providing valuable services in every field while holding a meeting with the globally acclaimed high-altitude climber Naila Kiani, who highlighted a lack of training facilities for mountaineers in the country.
Kiani, who garnered attention for being one of the few Pakistani women to scale some of the world’s highest peaks, met the prime minister at his official residence in Islamabad.
Among her notable accomplishments, she has successfully summited Mount Everest and K2, the world’s highest and second-highest mountains, respectively. Her accomplishments have made her a significant figure in the mountaineering community, inspiring many with her determination and resilience.
“The prime minister said providing facilities to the women in various sectors including information technology, education, professional training, sports and other sectors was part of the government’s top priorities,” said an official statement released by the PM Office after the meeting.
“The prime minister congratulated Naila on becoming the first Pakistani woman to conquer 11 peaks, above 8,000 meters, calling it a proud moment for Pakistan,” it added.
Speaking to Arab News after the meeting, Kiani said she had presented proposals for specialized training and vocational education in the mountaineering sector.
“I spoke to the PM about lack of any training facilities for mountaineers,” she said. “Pakistan doesn’t have a single internationally qualified mountaineer due to a lack of state-of-the-art mountaineering training institute.”
“The PM instructed his team to set up a committee immediately and start working on the establishment of a mountaineering school,” she continued. “I am also chairing a sub-committee, and the team will visit Skardu next week for official meetings and to visit the potential site for the school.”
Kiani said the proposed training facility would also help facilitate high-altitude climbers from abroad.
“The lack of training leads to so many issues for western climbers who take Pakistani high porters,” she informed. “They prefer Sherpas [from Nepal] instead. Establishing this school will not only enhance skills of all high-altitude workers and climbers but also help flourish the region economically. We can attract a lot more foreign adventure tourists if we are more skilled.”
Home to some of the tallest peaks and stunning landscapes, Pakistan attracts foreign climbers and tourists from around the world in every mountaineering season, making it a premier destination for adventure enthusiasts.
PM Sharif meets Pakistan’s leading female mountaineer, commends women’s contributions in all fields
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PM Sharif meets Pakistan’s leading female mountaineer, commends women’s contributions in all fields
- Naila Kiani highlights lack of training facilities for high-altitude climbers, calling for a mountaineering school
- Kiani says foreign mountaineers prefer to bring Sherpas from Nepal instead of taking local porters with them
Pakistan pushes for Chinese investment in export-oriented sectors
- China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with its exports to Islamabad standing at $19.62 billion in 2024
- Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi holds meetings with honorary investment councilors in China
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi met honorary investment councilors (HIC) this week to review their role in advancing trade and people-to-people linkages, urging them to mobilize investments from Beijing in Islamabad’s export-oriented sectors, the Press Information Department (PID) said.
Pakistan views China as an important strategic ally and investment partner, which has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.
China is also Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with its exports to Pakistan surging from $16.67 billion in 2023 to $19.62 billion in 2024, as per official data.
Hashmi held private meetings with HICs in China on Monday and a working luncheon to take stock of their work, strengthen coordination and set priorities for 2026, the PID said in a press release.
“He encouraged them to synergize their efforts with Pakistan’s national development priorities and mobilize Chinese investments in export-oriented sectors of Pakistan,” the statement said.
The Pakistani ambassador urged the HICs to prioritize channeling investments in 21 priority sectors of the economy through joint ventures to boost productive capacities, calling on them to integrate investments with human capital development.
Hashmi informed the HICs that the two business-to-business investment conferences held in Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Beijing, as well as six sectoral investment roadshows since last year cumulatively yielded the signing of over 300 memoranda of understanding and 25 joint ventures worth $11 billion.
“The HICs welcomed the initiative to convene focused annual review by the ambassador, marking the beginning of an institutionalized engagement with the HICs,” the press release said.
“They shared their plans for 2026 and expressed resolve to lend their full support to the embassy’s economic diplomacy agenda, especially the enhancement of Chinese investments in Pakistan and an increase in Pakistani exports to China, while boosting bilateral cooperation in these mutually beneficial areas.”
