KARACHI: Pakistan’s renowned mountaineer Hasan Sadpara, who had shot to fame for scaling the Mount Everest a few years ago, has recently been diagnosed with blood cancer.

Talking to Dawn News from Islamabad, Hasan’s son Arif confirmed the sad news about his father’s illness and appealed to the government to shift him to the Aga Khan Hospital Karachi for better treatment.

Arif said that one of the Information Ministry’s official had contacted him and assured him that his father will be provided all the financial and medical assistance during his treatment but they have not heard of anyone from the govt since.

“My father needs to be quickly shifted to a better-equipped hospital like the Aga Khan in Karachi for treatment since his condistion may deteriorate in the coming days,” said Arif.

Meanwhile, in a late development on Sunday, some sources in the govt disclosed that the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb had directed the concerned departments to ensure the provision of best medical facilities to the renowned Pakistani mountaineer.

It was also learned that on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Minister of State had also sent a bouquet to Hassan Sadpara who is currently being treated in a Rawalpindi hospital. “Hassan Sadpara is the top ranking mountaineer of the country and pride of Pakistan and best medical treatment should be provided to him,” Maryam was quoted as saying.

Hasan remains the first Pakistani to have climbed some of the world’s tallest mountains including the Everest (8848m), K2 (8611m), Gasherbrum I (8080m), Gasherbrum II (8034m), Nanga Parbat (8126 m) and Broad Peak (8051m).

Published in Dawn November 8th, 2016