ISLAMABAD – Mountaineer Abdul Jabbar Bhatti on Sunday became the fourth Pakistani to conquer the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.
Bhatti is a retired lieutenant colonel of Pakistan Army. He is an accomplished mountaineer and a recipient of the President’s Pride of Performance award and the Tamgha-i-Basalat (Medal of Good Conduct) by the government.
In the past, he has successfully scaled Broad Peak (8,051 metres high) in 1985; Gasherbrum 2 (8,035m) in 1986 and Spantik Peak (7,027m) in 2012.
It took him one and half months to complete the expedition. Bhatti was financing the Rs5-million trip partially from his own pocket and partially with the help of a private donor.
Mount Everest, which stands 8,848m (29,029 feet) high above sea level has not been climbed by many Pakistanis before.
Renowned mountaineer Hassan Sadpara was the only Pakistani to have climbed six of the world’s tallest mountains including Mt Everest (8848m), K2 (8611m), Gasherbrum I (8080m), Gasherbrum II (8034m), Nanga Parbat (8126 m) and Broad Peak (8051m).
Samina Baig, who climbed Mount Everest in 2013, and Nazir Sabir, who scaled the peak in 2000, have also successfully scaled Mt Everest in the past.
