Every year hundreds of mountaineers from around the world arrive in Pakistan, home to five of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including the ‘killer’ K2. The months from June to August are prime mountaineering months and create many opportunities for mountaineering-related business in the country, helping Pakistan generate over PKR 4 - 5 million in taxes and fees each year. With all summer climbing feats in Pakistan achieved, high-altitude mountaineers have increasingly been seeking to tackle the country’s winter challenges.
March 1, 2021
Time:
4:00 pm
Facebook Live
This year was a euphoric one for the Pakistani and the global climbing community, as a team of Nepali climbers became the first in history to complete a winter ascent of the K2. But the season soon after turned deadly when Muhammad Ali Sadpara - the only Pakistani to have climbed eight of the world's 14 highest mountains and the first ever to complete a winter ascent of Nanga Parbat in 2016 - went missing with two other climbers while attempting the K2 winter ascent. A search and rescue operation went on for almost two weeks before the climbers were officially declared dead on February 18. Sadpara’s death, a great loss to the country, has also opened up some big questions about Pakistan’s mountaineering industry and the challenges it faces as well as the opportunities for reform.
Join us for the sixty-fifth session of LUMS Live: After Ali Sadpara: Pakistan’s Mountaineering Challenges.
Date: Monday, March 1, 2021
Time: 4:00 pm (PKT).
Moderated by Mehreen Zahra-Malik, our distinguished panelists for this session are Mr. Karrar Haidri, Mr. Asghar Ali Porik, and Mr. Rao Ahmad.
Panelist Profiles
Ms. Mehreen Zahra-Malik
Ms. Zahra-Malik is Senior Editor for Arab News, one of the largest English-language newspapers in the Middle East. She has previously served as Pakistan correspondent for Reuters, Deputy Editor at The News, and as the News Editor of The Friday Times. Her reportage has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, The New Republic, The Hindu, Indian Express, Tehelka, Dawn, Express Tribune, Daily Times, The Friday Times and others. She is a LUMS alumna and has an MA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Mr. Karrar Haidri
Mr. Haidri is the Secretary General of the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), an organisation that provides a national forum for nature and adventure lovers who have the spirit for mountaineering, trekking and climbing (rock, ice and sports). He has been working with the ACP for over 25 years now. Mr. Haidri also owns Saltoro Summits, a tour operating company in Pakistan that provides opportunities for adventure trekking using off-the-beaten-path, mountaineering expeditions, rock climbing, mountain bike tours and more.
Mr. Asghar Ali Porik
Mr. Porik is the Vice President Gilgit-Baltistan of the Pakistan Association of Tour Operators (PATO), a private social welfare organization that works to promote tourism in Pakistan. He also serves as the head of rescue missions in Pakistan for PATO and is currently the Senior Vice President of the Baltistan Association of Adventure Tour Operators. Prior to this, he served on the Board of Directors for the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) and founded the Guide Association of Pakistan. Mr. Porik is also the CEO of Jasmine Tours, a destination management company based in Islamabad that specializes in mountaineering, trekking, and sightseeing tours across the country.
Mr. Rao Ahmad
Mr. Ahmad has served as the high-altitude mountaineer, Muhammad Ali Sadpara’s Manager for many years. Over the course of his time in this role, he was also involved in a number of mountaineering rescue missions with Mr. Sadpara.
