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
Punjab expands Pakistan-India Wagah border arena with museum, partition-themed park
- The border crossing, near eastern city of Lahore, is the primary land route between Pakistan and India and one of the most recognizable symbols of their often-tense relations
- The site is best known for its daily flag-lowering ceremony, a choreographed military ritual performed by border forces from both countries that draws thousands of spectators
ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz, chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, on Thursday inaugurated the newly constructed arena at Wagah border cross between Pakistan and India, which includes a museum and a partition themed park.
The Wagah border crossing, located near the eastern city of Lahore, is the primary land route between Pakistan and India and one of the most recognizable symbols of the often-tense relationship between the two neighbors. It serves as a key point for prisoner exchanges and limited movement of travelers, while remaining tightly regulated due to security considerations.
The site is best known for its daily flag-lowering ceremony, a choreographed military ritual performed by border forces from both countries that draws thousands of spectators. Over the years, the ceremony has evolved into a popular tourist attraction, blending displays of nationalism with public spectacle and making it one of Pakistan’s most visited landmarks, which connects with India’s Attari.
Flanked by military officials, CM Nawaz visited the crossing and inaugurated the new arena, with its seating capacity increased from 7,500 to 25,000 spectators, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. The chief minister also visited the martyrs’ monument and offered her respects.
“In addition to the arena’s expansion, several new constructions have been added at the Joint Check Post Wagah. These new developments include a theme park depicting the partition of the Subcontinent, featuring models of a railway station, military equipment and a Martyrs’ Memorial,” the broadcaster reported.
“A Pakistan Museum has also been established within the arena, showcasing the country’s history and culture from the Freedom Movement to the present day.”
In August 1947, Britain divided the Indian Sub-continent, its former colony, into two countries — Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Excitement over independence was quickly overshadowed by some of the worst bloodletting that left up to 1 million people dead as gangs of Hindus and Muslims slaughtered each other.
Creating two independent nations also tore apart millions of Hindu and Muslim families in one of the world’s largest peacetime migrations, which displaced at least 15 million people.
The fate of Kashmir, then a princely state, was left undecided. The Himalayan territory continues to remain a flashpoint in relations between the neighbors, who have fought multiple wars over it.
