ISLAMABAD, July 25 (APP): Federal Minister of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Riaz Hussain Pirzada Tuesday said climber Lt Col (R) Dr Abdul Jabbar Bhatti’s name would be recommended for Sitara-i-Imtiaz award.
It may be mentioned here that Bhatti who is around 60 is the fourth Pakistani to scale the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. He climbed Mount Everest in May this year. Pakistani mountaineers Nazir Sabir, late Hasan Sadpara and Samina Baig have conquered the world’s highest mountain before him.
In a reception kept by Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to honor the ace mountaineer, Pirzada congratulated Bhatti and said we would be recommending Bhatti’s name to the government for Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
“Ministry and PSB would back those federations or individuals who would deliver in the field of sports,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhatti, who is also a recipient of President’s Medal of Pride of Performance explained the difficulties he faced in climbing the world’s highest peak Mt Everest (8,848 m).
“During the descent I faced acute difficulties due to exhaustion of my supplementary oxygen and fatigue. Unable to descend back to Camp-4 by evening me and my porter were stranded at a height of 8,600 m below South Summit without oxygen and extreme exhaustion.”
“After having spent four nights above the Death Zone without much Oxygen we suffered acute dehydration, weakness, exhaustion and frostbite to his hand and feet, but we survived,” he said.
Bhatti, who had also climbed Broad Peak (8,047 m) in 1985 and Gasherbrum II (8,035 m) in 1986 had self-financed his Mount Everest Expedition (amounting to more than Rs six million).
Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), President, Lt. Col. (R) Manzoor Hussain said when Bhatti went for this expedition, the only thing that was in my mind that at this age it is very difficult for a person like us to climb. “But I was wrong and Bhatti proved that age is just a number,” he said.
APP/Ahsan/ VNS Islamabad
