GILGIT: A team of courageous women from across Pakistan has made history by becoming the first all-female expedition to summit 5,400-metre Bari La Peak in Skardu’s breathtaking Deosai region.

The team comprised Bibi Afzoon and Zeeba Batool from Gilgit-Baltistan, Bismah Hassan and Iqra Jillani from Punjab, Madeeha Syed from Sindh, Mona Khan from Kashmir, Marya Bangash from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shahreen Khan and Amina Shabbir from Islamabad, and Laraib Batool from Balochistan.

The all successfully reached the summit on Wednesday.

Madeeha Syed, an award winning documentary filmmaker who had previously summited Africa’s highest peak in Tanzania, could not complete the mission and had to turn back from 5,000 meters due to sickness.

The expedition had been organised and sponsored by the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

Vice-President of the Alpine Club Karrar Haidri said with representation from all four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, these “courageous women” came together not just to climb the peak, but to break barriers and prove that Pakistan’s daughters could rise to any peak.

He emphasised that this milestone was just the beginning, paving the way for more Pakistani women to excel in adventure sports.

He said before embarking on their journey, the team received training in basic climbing techniques at the Sadpara Mountaineering Training School.

From the rugged grounds of Bari La base camp, the team pushed higher, and on September 10, they proudly stood on the summit of Bari La Peak.

The team’s mountain guides included Sajid Ali Sadpara, who has summited nine eight-thousanders peaks without bottled oxygen, and Ashraf Sadpara, Fida Ali, and Shareef Sadpara.

Sajid Sadpara described the expedition as a “movement” that shattered glass ceilings and showed that unity and progress knew no bounds.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated the team on their historic achievement and invited them to the PM House, recognising their courage and determination.

As the team members celebrated their achievement, they also acknowledged the immense potential and opportunities that lie ahead for Pakistani women in mountaineering.

Talking to Dawn, Mona Khan, who is an Islamabad-based journalist, said life as a journalist had its own path, but being part of an expedition was a completely different experience.

“For me, it was nothing short of a dream when I was selected by the Alpine Club to represent Kashmir in this mission,” she said.

“I was excited but also nervous. Standing on the summit, I could hardly believe that I had crossed this challenging, rocky, and icy mountain,” she added.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025