KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan, who made history by becoming the first person from his country to summit 14 of the world’s tallest mountains, is setting his sights on another record already: becoming the first Pakistani to summit them without supplemental oxygen.
Khan made history earlier this month when he became the first Pakistani to summit all 14 of the world’s highest peaks, with his successful ascent of the 8,027-meter Mount Shishapangma.
The 14 peaks, often referred to as the “eight-thousanders,” are over 8,000 meters high and are considered the ultimate test in high-altitude mountaineering. Khan, who was born and raised in Hunza, embarked on this journey in 2017 with the ascent of Nanga Parbat, one of the deadliest mountains in the world.
Another remarkable achievement to Khan’s name is that he has climbed 12 of these eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen. While that’s impressive, he wants to do better.
“Out of 14 peaks, I have scaled 12 peaks without using supplemental oxygen,” Khan told Arab News in an exclusive interview over the phone.
“So my next immediate plan is to summit the remaining two peaks without oxygen. And god willing, I will also be the first Pakistani to summit all 14 peaks without using oxygen.”
To achieve that, Khan said he will have to climb mountains Annapurna and Kanchenjunga, both in Nepal, without supplemental oxygen.
The mountaineer’s impressive conquests include the treacherous K2, which he has summited thrice, mountain Annapurna and the towering Mount Everest, which he has climbed twice without supplemental oxygen.
According to Khan, scaling such huge mountains is no easy feat.
“In mountaineering, we should be physically and mentally fit,” he explained. “Sometimes you have to make important decisions at very high altitudes, even in the death zone.”
The Pakistani climber found Nanga Parbat, standing at 8,126 meters and nicknamed the “Killer Mountain,” the most formidable challenge out of all the 14 peaks he climbed.
“Out of fourteen peaks, Nanga Parbat was more challenging for me because of its steepness and sudden change of weather, which were very difficult,” Khan said, adding that it was the first eight-thousander he summited.
The Pakistani climber said mountaineers face various challenges during their ascent, such as wind speeds, sudden snowfall, avalanches and crevasses. He urged people who wanted to pursue professional climbing to seek beginner and advanced training before “storming into this field.”
Khan said another challenge is when mountaineers are unable to contact their friends and family members for several days during arduous expeditions. His family and friends requested him to give up mountaineering when he initially started.
“However, after summiting a few peaks, their trust was built in me and they always supported me to fulfill my dream, thank god,” he said.
Khan said he was driven to scale all 14 eight-thousanders in Pakistan as no one had done it before from his country, while plenty of Nepalese climbers had achieved the feat.
He said it was an additional challenge for Pakistani climbers as they did not have access to mountaineering schools in the country. And while there is no dearth of talent in the country, Khan said Pakistan lacked a certified guide.
“Now we want to make institutions and introduce new programs so that we could also become internationally certified guides,” he said, adding that international guides can work in different countries in all seasons.
“Because in Pakistan we have only summer season for this field,” he explained.
Khan hoped his achievement of summiting all 14 of the world’s top peaks would motivate others to pursue mountaineering.
“This will pave the way for the new generation and attract more people in this field,” he said.
Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan eyes summiting world’s 14 tallest peaks without oxygen support
https://arab.news/8r5hz
Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan eyes summiting world’s 14 tallest peaks without oxygen support
- Khan became first Pakistani climber to summit 14 tallest peaks above 8,000 meters this month, 12 without supplemental oxygen
- To become first Pakistani to climb all 14 peaks without oxygen support, Khan will have to summit Annapurna and Kanchenjunga mountains
Pakistan’s Met Office forecasts ‘severe’ heatwave during Eid Al-Adha holidays
- High pressure likely to develop over country on June 7, expected to grip most areas from June 8
- Day temperatures likely to remain 5°C to 7°C above normal from June 7-12 in country’s upper half
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday forecast a “severe” heatwave in the country during the Eid Al-Adha holidays from June 7 to 12, urging the public to take precautionary measures.
Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change and has faced increasingly frequent extreme weather events in recent years, including deadly heatwaves and devastating floods.
“Met Office predicted that high pressure is likely to develop over the country on June 7 and is expected to grip most parts from June 8,” the PMD said in a statement.
“Day temperatures are likely to remain 5°C to 7°C above normal in the upper half (central & upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan) from June 7 to June 12.”
Dust storms and gusty winds are expected across the plains of the country due to intense heat, it added.
The Met Office advised women, the elderly and children to avoid direct sunlight during the day and stay hydrated at all times as precautionary moves.
Farmers were urged to manage their crop activities according to the latest weather conditions and to take care of their livestock.
The Met Office urged authorities to remain vigilant and take necessary measures to prevent any adverse situations arising from the heatwave conditions.
Pakistan experienced its most recent heatwave in May but no loss of life was reported.
In June 2024, nearly 700 people died in less than a week during a severe heatwave in the country, with most fatalities reported in the port city of Karachi and other parts of the southern Sindh province.
A similar heatwave in 2015 claimed over 2,000 lives in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi alone, while catastrophic floods in 2022 left more than 1,700 people dead and displaced over 33 million across the country.
Pakistan defense minister says Simla Agreement with India ‘has no worth’ after conflict
- As per 1972 agreement, India and Pakistan agreed to resolve Kashmir dispute bilaterally
- Simla Agreement also formalized de facto border separating Kashmir between two nations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Thursday that Islamabad’s Simla Agreement with New Delhi, which formalized the de facto border separating the disputed Kashmir territory with its neighbor, “has no worth” after the recent standoff between them.
India and Pakistan signed the Simla Agreement in 1972 after the 1971 war between the two countries, which New Delhi won and led to the creation of Bangladesh. One of its main clauses was that India and Pakistan both agreed to bilaterally discuss and resolve the issue of the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
Another clause of the agreement was that both countries renamed the Ceasefire Line, the de facto border separating Pakistan-administered Kashmir from the one governed by India, to the “Line of Control” (LoC). Both India and Pakistan agreed not to change it unilaterally.
After India suspended a decades-old water-sharing treaty with Pakistan following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April, Pakistan announced a raft of tit-for-tat measures against Delhi. Islamabad said it had the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement, in abeyance.
“Because of India’s steps I think the sanctity of the Simla Agreement has ended,” Asif told Geo News. “All the status before the Simla Agreement, that we will resolve problems bilaterally, all of its provisions, is not applicable.
That agreement as a whole, I think after this war and episode, has no worth or value,” he added.
He reiterated Pakistan’s position that India’s move to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance was illegal as the terms dictated that neither of the two parties can alter its status unilaterally.
Signed in 1960, the treaty allocates the six Indus Basin rivers between India and Pakistan, with the World Bank acting as its guarantor.
Pakistan has rights to the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower. India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow.
India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes
Asif said neither the World Bank nor any other institution had any “interference or patronage” in the Simla Agreement when it was signed in 1972.
“So then, the Control Line will once again shift to its original status of Ceasefire Line,” the minister said.
While the fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan announced on May 10 by US President Donald Trump -persists, tensions remain high as delegations by both nuclear-armed neighbors head to world capitals and blame each other for the May conflict.
Kashmir has always remained the root cause of conflict between India and Pakistan. The two countries claim the region in full but administer only parts of it. They have fought two out of three wars since 1947 over the territory.
Delhi blames Islamabad for fomenting militancy in the part of Kashmir it administers. Pakistan denies the allegations and says it only extends diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir it says are living under “occupation.”
Pakistan PM embarks on two-day Saudi Arabia visit to bolster bilateral ties
- During his stay on June 5 and 6, Sharif will celebrate Eid Al-Adha, hold bilateral meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
- Discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security, welfare of Muslim Ummah
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed on Thursday on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to strengthen bilateral relations between the two longstanding allies, the premier’s office said.
During his stay on June 5 and 6, Sharif will celebrate Eid Al-Adha in the Kingdom and hold a bilateral meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.
“The two leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade and investment, welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and regional peace and security,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Sharif is also expected to express gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their role in de-escalating recent tensions between Pakistan and India.
Last month, following the worst military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades, Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf nations, played a key role in mediating between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, helping to avert a potential war.
The visit also comes amid deepening economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In recent months, the two countries have signed multiple agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment. Notably, Saudi Arabia has committed to a $5 billion investment package to support Pakistan’s economy, which has been grappling with a balance of payments crisis.
Last year, Saudi and Pakistani businessmen signed 34 memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion, covering sectors such as industry, technology, and agriculture. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Manara Minerals is in talks to acquire a 10-20 percent stake in Pakistan’s $9 billion Reko Diq copper and gold mining project, one of the largest of its kind globally.
Defense cooperation is also a key component of the bilateral relationship. The two nations have a history of military collaboration, with Saudi Arabia providing support to Pakistan during times of regional tension and Pakistan training Saudi forces.
Pakistan has a 2.7 million-strong diaspora in Saudi Arabia, which accounts for the highest remittance inflow, a crucial lifeline for the country’s economy.
Pakistani pilgrims pray for Palestinians, Muslim world on sacred Day of Arafat
- Over 117,000 Pakistanis have joined millions of Muslims from around the world in Arafat to seek forgiveness
- Pilgrims express satisfaction with facilities provided by Pakistan’s Hajj mission supported by Saudi authorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pilgrims on Thursday vowed to pray for Palestinians and the wider Muslim world as they joined over a million fellow worshippers in Arafat on one of the most sacred days in Islam to seek forgiveness.
The Day of Arafat, observed on the 9th of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar, marks the spiritual peak of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Its central ritual, Wuquf, involves standing in devotion from noon until sunset near Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) delivered his farewell sermon.
After sunset, pilgrims travel to Muzdalifah, located between Arafat and Mina, to collect pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual performed the following day.
“It is a big day for the Muslims around the world and those who are present here,” Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said while speaking to media from Mount Arafat.
“I urge Pakistani pilgrims that along with praying for their own families, they should also pray for the country, Muslim Ummah, especially people of Gaza, Palestine and Kashmir,” he added.
Malik Aslam, a Pakistani pilgrim from Gujar Khan, a city in Rawalpindi District, said the situation in Gaza was deeply disturbing and that he would pray for Palestinians.
“All pilgrims should pray for all the Muslims, especially those in Palestine,” he told Arab News. “Pilgrims should pray for the success of Muslims in all fields.”
“I am also praying for my parents and all those who left this world,” he added.
Expressing his feelings from Mount Arafat, Muhammad Usman, another pilgrim from Gujrat district in Punjab, said he was thankful to God for blessing him with the opportunity to perform Hajj.
“Today, I am reflecting on my entire life and praying that Allah grant me a better, righteous life ahead,” he told Arab News, saying he would begin a new chapter of life after Hajj.
“I hope to leave here with all my known and unknown sins forgiven,” he added.
Muhammad Abdullah, from Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said his day was going well, as the weather was not too hot.
“I will pray for the whole Ummah, following example of our Holy Prophet [PBUH],” he added.
Speaking about the arrangements, Samad Wazir, a pilgrim from the northwestern Waziristan tribal district, expressed satisfaction with the facilities provided by both the Pakistani Hajj mission and Saudi authorities, hoping the same standard would continue in the coming days.
“It is very well arranged and there has been no problem at all in the tents and other places,” he said, adding that everyone had their own folding beds and received meals on time in the tents.
“Even on the buses, the arrangements were smooth, as everyone boarded in turn with the help of Hajj volunteers, who also guided us all the way to our tents,” he added.
Munir Ahmed Bhatti, a pilgrim from Gujranwala city, also praised the Pakistani mission for the arrangements in Mina and Arafat.
“We gathered for Hajj and this time the government of Pakistan has done very good arrangements and we are satisfied,” he said, adding that pilgrims got good residences, food and transportation.
Over 117,000 Pakistani pilgrims are currently in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025.
Pakistan’s Punjab grants 90-day sentence remission to 450 prisoners ahead of Eid Al-Adha
- A total of 270 prisoners will be released from jails to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with their families
- Sentence remissions are traditionally announced on religious, national occasions in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Around 450 prisoners in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province have been granted a special 90-day remission in their sentences ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the Punjab government announced on Thursday.
Pakistani leaders traditionally announce sentence remissions for prisoners on religious festivals and other special occasions like Independence Day.
These remissions are intended as goodwill gestures to promote rehabilitation and allow selected inmates to reunite with their families during important national and religious occasions.
“Prisoners in Punjab’s jails have been given a special 90-day sentence remission,” the Punjab administration said in a statement, adding “450 inmates will benefit” from the decision.
Two hundred and seventy prisoners out of 450 will be released from Punjab’s jails and be able to celebrate Eid with their families, it added.
The sentence remission was granted by the Punjab government under Rule 216 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.
Prisoners convicted of militancy, sectarianism, espionage, treason, anti-state activities, murder, rape, drug trafficking, robbery, kidnapping, financial embezzlement or causing loss to the national treasury, as well as those punished for violating jail rules within the past year, will not be eligible for sentence remission.
Earlier this year in March, President Asif Ali Zardari announced a special 180-day remission in sentences for eligible prisoners on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.
He had also approved similar remissions for prisoners on Pakistan Day and Eid Al-Fitr last year.
