Pak mountaineer Sadpara passes away

ISLAMABAD: Renowned Pakistani mountaineer Hassan Sadpara Monday passed away in Rawalpindi.

Sadpara was brought to a private hospital in Rawalpindi last week after he was diagnosed with blood cancer however he lost the battle against cancer.

Sadpara's son Arif had appealed the government to help the ailing mountaineer and recently Punjab government handed over a cheque worth Rs 2.5 million to the family in this regard.

Sadpara whose real name is Hassan Asad belonged to the small village of Sadpara, seven kilometres from Skardu in Gilgit- Baltistan.

He was the first Pakistani to have climbed six eight- thousanders including the world's highest peak Everest (8848m) besides K2 (8611m), Gasherbrum I (8080m), Gasherbrum II (8034m), Nanga Parbat (8126 m), Broad Peak (8051m).

He started as a high altitude porter. He owned a small shop of used mountaineering equipment in Skardu city. It was his dedication and self-confidence that let him to the summit of world's highest peaks.

He was the second Baltistani to have summited all five of the 8000m peaks of Pakistan, after Nisar Hussain of Sadpara village.

After his successful summit of Mount Everest, he told in an interview that he can summit all the Top 14 mountain peaks if he is sponsored and had requested the Pakistan government or international corporations in his regard. Sadpara was a free consultant for new climbers.

He provided guidance to the team of Pakistan's First Big Wall Climbing Expedition.