Islamabad

Awards for people serving mountain communities

The significance of the awards is that they are titled after the names of the living legends

Our Correspondent January 11, 2021

ISLAMABAD:

Seven dedicated professionals serving the mountain communities and putting their efforts for the conservation and development of mountains’ natural resources will be awarded with the Second Pakistan Mountains Pride Awards (PAMPA).

A ceremony will be organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) in Islamabad with the support of development partners and organisations serving the land and people of northern highlands.

Devcom-Pakistan launched Pakistan Mountains Pride Awards in 2019 to recognize the services of the individuals rendered over the years to the mountains of Pakistan and its communities. The significance of the awards is that they are titled after the names of the living legends to recognise their lifelong services to the mountains and its communities in different sectors.

The Pakistan Mountains Pride Awards include Agostino Da Polenza Nature Conservation Award, Nazir Sabir Mountaineering Award, Shoaib Sultan Khan Community Development Award, Ashraf Aman Sustainable Tourism Award, and Ustad Jan Ali Mountain Music Award.

The recipients of the first PAMPA were Ashiq Ahmed Khan, Ev-K2-CNR Senior Scientific Advisor on Mountain Biospheres, Ecosystems and Habitats; Tsuneo Miyamori, mountaineer who developed mountaineering route maps of Pakistan’s mountains in 1960; Syed Yahya Shah of Skardu and Jan Alam of Chitral for community development; Aftabur Rehman Rana for promoting ecotourism for the last three decades and Abdul Ghafoor Chillasi of Gilgit and Mansoor Ali Shabab of Chitral for mountain music.

Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed, founder of PAMPA and Pakistan Mountain Festival (PMF) said: “we need to recognise the services of individuals and organisations that have played their key role to inspire others.”

It is essential to attract others to follow the footprints of the living legends and award recipients to contribute their services to the mountains and its communities.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2021.