“We climbed K2 together on 27 July 2004 and we hoisted the Pakistani flag on Gasherbrum 1 on 22 July 2006. It is a world record that we both scaled G1 and G2 within the span of a week,” says Hasan Sadpara.
The decision was announced by G-B Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman as he visited Sadpara’s home in Skardu to condole his death.
The 54-year-old mountaineer from Skardu, whose real name was Hassan Asad, had died of blood cancer recently in Rawalpindi.
“This is a tribute to our hero whose achievements made us proud,” said Rehman who also announced to provide a job to Sadpara’s son in the police department – where Sadpara himself served as an instructor till his death.
“His sudden demise has saddened us all and deprived us of a loving man.”
The chief minister added that his government was working to establish an endowment fund so that people like Sadpara could be extended financial support during emergencies. Rehman also pointed out that during his government had worked to increase the number of doctors in the past one and half years to meet the health requirements of the region.
“When we took over the government, there were about 160 doctors in the region. Now there are more than 400,” Rehman said.
Sadpara was the only Pakistani mountaineer to have climbed six of the world’s tallest mountains including Mt Everest (8,848m), K2 (8,611m), Gasherbrum I (8,080m), Gasherbrum II (8,034m), Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) and Broad Peak (8,051m).
He battled with the cancer for over two months before he died. to Days before his death, the Punjab chief minister had provided his family Rs2.5 million to pay for Sadpara’s treatment. But it was too late by then. Sadpara died the
next day.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2016.
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