Naila Kiani becomes first Pakistani woman to summit world’s third highest peak

Naila Kiani makes history as the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Kanchenjunga (8,586m) – the world’s third-highest mountain situated in Nepal, and completing 12 of the world’s 14 highest peaks, her team announced on Instagram on Friday.

In a joint post with Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Kiani announced her latest success. With this climb, she is two summits away from joining an elite group of just 17 women in the world to have completed all 14 eight-thousanders.

“This summit is not just a personal milestone,” Kiani said in a statement during her descent. “It’s a message to every girl and woman in Pakistan and beyond: you are stronger than you think.”

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The expedition was supported by the BARD Foundation, an initiative of Bilquis and Abdul Razak Dawood aimed at supporting Pakistani talent.

“Her courage, resilience, and relentless pursuit of excellence embody everything we believe in,” the foundation wrote in an accompanying post.

Kiyani is based in Dubai and is a former banker-turned-professional mountaineer. In an earlier interview with Business Recorder, she had mentioned her intent to scale all of the world’s highest peaks.

In an earlier post detailing her journey, she said, “Climbing Kanchenjunga has been an incredibly difficult expedition and a harsh reminder of how hard it is to climb mountains over 8,000m.”

In 2023 alone, Naila scaled seven of the 14 highest mountains in the world.