September 05, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 04, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: World’s renowned alpinists and rescuers have called for a complete overhaul of the rescue system after the recent tragedies on K2, Nanga Parbat and other mountains across the Karakoram and Himalayan ranges.

Alpinists Nazir Sabir and Tomaz Humar, who was plucked from Nanga Parbat in 2005 in a daring rescue operation, said that it was urgently felt here and abroad that Pakistan had to revamp its rescue apparatus keeping in view the increasing demands and lessons learnt from catastrophes on K2, Nanga Parbat and Muztagh Tower.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, Nazir Sabir said: “In emergency we always look to the Pakistan Army’s aviation wing as the only source for tackling situations of serious nature due to absence of a rescue system. It is insufficient.”

He said world mountain rescue organisations gave great importance to the exceptional courage and skills exhibited by the army pilots. There is no regular mountain rescue system in place here like that in Nepal, Europe, US and other countries.

“Our army helicopter pilots are no doubt very competent, skilful, and brave but they are not trained in delicate high mountaineering rescue which was a specialised discipline in alpinism in the West,” Mr Sabir said.

Stating that the aviation pilots had gone beyond expectations in undertaking some of the most outstanding rescue missions anywhere in the Himalayan history, speakers recalled some of the brilliant performances including Col Hashim’s solo attempt on Rakaposhi, when he picked up a Belgian climber from 6,400 metres in 1993.

However, according to Nazir Sabir, the most heroic rescue was of Tomaz Humar, a known Himalayan mountaineer.

His historical rescue was successfully undertaken by Col Rashidullah Baig and Col Khalid Amir Rana on Nanga Parbat on August 10, 2005 and it would go down in the Himalayan history as unparalleled in bravery and the most treacherous of its kind in technical terms when both brave pilots flew just above the snow cave and snatched Tomaz Humar from the clutches of death from the vertical Rupal wall at 6,300m where Tomaz was stranded in continuous storms and bad weather for seven days and six nights with almost no food or gas.

Tomaz Humar believed that Pakistan, a dream destination for mountain lovers, stood up high among the Himalayan nations when compared with mountain wealth in terms of size of mountainous region, variety, vastness and the sheer and harsh nature of Karakoram.

“Pakistan needs to prepare itself to take on the challenge of rescue and evacuation and for that we need to have a proper system with trained and skilled high-altitude crew and manpower to address this issue in line with international standards and present day practices,” Tomaz said, inviting mountain rescue organisations, government and climbers to chip in to make climbing safer and better in Pakistan.

“No doubt Pakistan Army pilots have done wonders by carrying out daring missions that are thought to be absolutely impossible by any standards, but they need to be given opportunities to have proper mountain rescue training in line with the standards and practices in European Alps and elsewhere,” Tomaz emphasised.

A proper rescue arrangement that was need of the time would further enhance and encourage the mountaineers and trekkers’ community from all corners of the globe, he asserted.

Ranking Tomaz’s rescue probably the most difficult mission handed down, the two pilots, Col Rashidullah Baig and Lt-Col Khalid Amir Rana said that they did lack the technical training necessary in such missions.