THIS is with reference to the editorial ‘RIP Ali Sadpara’ (Feb 19). Even though close to a fortnight had passed since Muhammad Ali Sadpara went missing just around the bottleneck of K2, it was still saddening when the search operation was official called off and he was decalred dead along with his companions, Juan Pablo Mohr and John Snorri Sigurjonsson.

Those who had any interest in winter sports, or the world of mountaineering, surely knew the man and his heroic achievements, but for the majority of Pakistanis, the name remained unknown till his mysterious disappearance so close to the summit in a daring attempt to scale in winter a peak that is called the Savage Mountain for its treacherous slopes.

Born in Sadpara village of Skardu city, Muhammad Ali Sadpara has since captured the fancy of one and all, especially on the social media which was, and is, abuzz with talk about the hero who largely remained unsung and uncelebrated even in his native land.

Ali’s journey from a porter to Pakistan’s most accomplished, yet unacknowledged, mountaineer remains as exalting as it seems.

Ali, who helped several summit-seekers, carrying their burdens on his shoulders, is the only Pakistani to have climbed eight of the 14 peaks around the world that rise 8,000 metres or above; some of them multiple times.

Also, he was part of the first successful winter expedition to Nanga Parbat, which is also called the Killer Mountain.

Adding to his honour list was another voyage, summiting Lhotse in Nepal, without supplemental oxygen. Indeed, there would have been numerous treks and odysseys that never made the headlines because we do not recognise our heroes while they are alive which is such a pity.

There were times during the search operation when the entire nation hoped against hope that Ali would somehow miraculously reappear to tell untold tales and audacious anecdotes. But that was not to be.

Nature has its way of making lovers meet. The man who twice summited K2, which on an average claims the life of one out of every four adventurers who actually scale it, found his peace in the mountains.

It was there that he belonged, and it is there that he will stay forever.

Warda Saqib

Islamabad

(2)

PASSION is what makes you do amazing things, like, for instance, summiting mountains. Living your dreams is sometimes considered foolish in our country, especially when one is determined enough to risk one’s life for it. Muhammad Ali Sadpara was one such soul. He was passionate about mountaineering and was planning to start a mountaineering school to help others in the fulfilment of their dreams.

As the nation waited and waited for a miracle to happen, the energy on social media was something great as it united the nation on at least something.

However, I did come across some ‘keyboard warriors’ on social media criticising the mountaineers for risking their lives in chasing their passion. I found such comments extremely insensitive and inappropriate. The Sadpara family surely deserves better from all of us.

Farah Naz Burki

Islamabad

(3)

PAKISTANI mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara is a legend whose feats were never recognised the way they should have been.

With a passion to conquer the loftiest of peaks, Ali had climbed eight peaks over 8,000 metres. Five of them were in Pakistan: K2, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak. He was the first Pakistani to climb Nanga Parbat in winter. He also climbed Lhotse Peak on the border between Tibet region of China and Nepal, as well Makalu and Manaslu peaks in Nepal.

In his words, mountaineering demands passion and “one’s heart needs to be in love with the mountains” to summit such rugged peaks. He is now gone and his post on social media seems to have come true in which he wrote: “Don’t worry if one day I get lost in these mountains. I will build a house in the snow and return.”

We, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, urge the government to recognise Muhammad Ali Sadpara’s achievements, and the least it can do is to honour him with a national award for his heroic feats.

Faislan Shafa Isfahani

Astore, Gilgit-Baltistan

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2021