ISLAMABAD: After six days of being stranded on a remote peak in Pakistan’s northeast, two injured Russian climbers were finally rescued, while another remains missing and is presumed dead, a mountaineering official said Wednesday.
The five-member climbing team, which began their expedition on one of Gasherbrum’s peaks to retrieve the body of a fellow climber who died there last year, was hit by a pile of ice on Friday, officials said. Rescuers airlifted two of the mountaineers Monday while more planning was needed to rescue the other two who were unable to move because of their injuries.
An army helicopter, backed by local volunteers, helped rescue the two injured on Tuesday, said Karrar Haidri, the secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, adding that the third climber fell into a crevasse and couldn’t be located
Haidri said Wednesday the two were moved from the peak to the base camp and were in stable condition. “A helicopter was set to transport them to the northern city of Skardu, but it could not fly due to bad weather,” he said, and that they were trying to find another way to get them to a hospital.
The Russian team, which was not accompanied by guides or sherpas, took an unusual route on Gasherbrum.
While Haidri acknowledged that the climbers were hit by the ice formation while “ascending the mountain for a noble cause,” he still warned against such endeavors.
“Climbers are fully aware of the dangers linked to such missions, but they still opt for dangerous and unexplored routes,” he said. “This is how climbers make records but also come across challenges.”
Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year, and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes. This month, a Pakistani climber Murad Sadpara, 35, known for taking part in high-altitude rescue missions died during a descent from one of the country’s tallest mountains in the north.
Two injured Russian climbers rescued after 6 days stranded on Pakistan peak
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Two injured Russian climbers rescued after 6 days stranded on Pakistan peak
- Another Russian climber remains missing and is presumed dead, mountaineering official said
- Five-member climbing team was hit by a pile of ice on Friday on one of Gasherbrum’s peaks
Pakistan explores ferry shipping to boost trade with Yemen, regional markets
- Pakistan commerce minister meets Yemeni envoy to discuss enhancing trade cooperation
- Yemeni ambassador calls for reviving bilateral agreements, strengthening trade mechanisms
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said on Friday that his ministry is exploring the possibility of introducing ferry-based shipping services with Yemen to cut freight costs and boost bilateral, regional trade.
Pakistan has been attempting to enhance its ferry-based services with Middle Eastern countries in recent months. Islamabad granted its first-ever ferry service license to an international operator, Sea Keepers, for routes connecting Pakistan with Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in August. Last month, Pakistan’s federal cabinet approved a ferry service to Oman from the southwestern port of Gwadar to boost trade and tourism.
Khan met Yemen’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Mohammed Motahar Alashabi, in Islamabad on Friday where both sides discussed enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
“Jam Kamal highlighted the importance of creating efficient, low-cost logistics channels for small and medium enterprises and informed H.E. Alashabi that the ministry is examining the introduction of ferry-based small shipping services to reduce freight costs and improve turnaround time for regional trade,” the commerce ministry said.
“Both sides expressed confidence that sustained dialogue, improved logistics, and revival of formal cooperation mechanisms will help unlock new opportunities for trade and investment between Pakistan and Yemen.”
Alashabi expressed Yemen’s desire to expand commercial engagement with Pakistan, the commerce ministry said, stressing that Yemen continues to regard Islamabad as a “trusted partner” despite logistical and regional challenges in recent years.
He said nearly 300 Yemeni students are studying in Pakistan, highlighting strong people-to-people ties and confidence in Pakistan’s educational institutions. He stressed the need to revive bilateral agreements and strengthen mechanisms to boost trade between the nations.
Kamal said Pakistan placed a lot of emphasis on expanding trade with regional and nearby markets, adding that Pakistan’s growing entrepreneurial and SME sectors could benefit from improved access to close-proximity markets such as Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Oman.
