July 4, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 3,1424

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ISLAMABAD, July 3: Thursday marked the golden jubilee of the first ascent of Nanga Parbat located in Himalayan range in Northern Areas with the Alpine Club of Pakistan announcing that the event will be celebrated in September this year.

This was announced by the President of Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) Brig Amir Gulistan Janjua at a press conference here on Thursday.

The celebrations were originally to take place in the first week of June, but because of a late start these got delayed. “We plan to organize three events in Islamabad, Gilgit and Fairy Meadows in collaboration with the APC and the Adventure Foundation of Pakistan,” Ayaz Khan Afridi of the tourism ministry told reporters.

“The summary has been sent to the Prime Minister and is likely to be approved soon.”

The first attempt on the Nanga Parbat, also known as the “killer mountain”, was made by Austrian climber Hermann Buhl who made the history by setting his foot on the 8125-meter summit on July 3, 1953.

Nanga Parbat, located in Diamer District of Northern Areas has claimed the lives of as many as 61 mountaineers, the maximum number at one time being 16 - climbers who were members of a 1937 German expedition, Amir Gulistan Janjua said. “They were struck by an avalanche.”

Nanga Parbat is one of the five peaks in Pakistan rising above 8000m and has been scaled by nine home mountaineers among them Col Sher Khan, who was also present at the news conference, Rajab Shah, Muhammadullah and Atta. The other, he said, are K-2 (8611m), Gashabrum-I (8068m), Broad Peak (8047m) and Gasharbrum-II (8035m) of the Karakarum being others.

Prominent mountaineer Nazir Sabir, conqueror of Mount Everest and K-2, also made several attempts on Nanga Parbat and was lucky to survive a fall in 1983 during a climb to a higher camp while accompanying a Japanese expedition. “I have seen death very closely,” he said smilingly.

So far about 200 climbers have made it to the summit of Nanga Parbat which is almost equal to K-2 (198) but far lesser than Mount Everest (over 1500).

Mr Janjua said that Diamer the great massif of Nanga Parbat was believed to be the abode of fairies where fairyland queen adorned its peak in a glass stone castle, wreaking her wrath on anyone daring to climb its slope.

He said that rising to awesome height of 8125 meters, ranking ninth highest on earth, massive naked mountain stands in isolation like a big bull guarding the Western bastion of the great Himalayas.

Speaking on the occasion Nazir Sabir said Nanga Parbat is more dangerous for climbing due to avalanches than K-2.

He also called for establishment of a mountaineering institute for promotion of healthy activities like climbing for youth and to create more world class climbers in the country.

Nazir Sabir also highlighted the difficulties being faced by the mountaineers and urged for providing resources for the promotion of this sector in the country.

Col Sher Khan said Nanga Parbat is one of the difficult peak to surpass due to its texture and harsh climate.