Gondogoro La closure: Minister assures tour operators to take up issue with government

The famous pass was closed for trekking by security agencies in May last year.

ISLAMABAD:

Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada on Friday assured tour operators that he will take up with authorities the closure of Gondogoro La, a famous pass in Baltistan for trekking expeditions.

“It is our job to discuss these matters with other departments, the army and intelligence agencies,” he told the tour operators at an event arranged by the Alpine Club of Pakistan in honour of brother-sister mountaineer duo Samina Baig and Mirza Ali, who are currently on an eight-month expedition to scale highest mountains on each continent.

The 5,940-metre high Gondogoro La, one of the most famous and widely preferred mountain passes in the Karakoram ranges, was closed for trekking expeditions by security agencies in May 2013.

Pirzada asked the tour operators to forward their concerns in writing to him so that he could take up the issue with the authorities.

The issue had been raised by President Pakistan Association of Tour Operators (PATO) Amjad Ayub.

“If you provide a written demand to the inter-provincial coordination ministry, I will take care of it,” the minister said.

Pirzada also said that Baig’s achievement was a like a drop of rain that will make the ground fertile for more Pakistani women to participate in sports.

Ayub told The Express Tribune that the closure of the pass has affected the livelihood of local tour operators and people associated with the tourism industry. “Instead of making the country tourist-friendly, we are making it difficult for tourists,” Ayub said. “It is not just the pass that has been closed, but the income opportunities of tourist operators, local guides and porters have also been closed with it.”

The Gondogoro La trek is famous for offering a breath-taking, panoramic view of Pakistan’s four 8,000-metre high peaks: K2, Gasherbrum-I, Gasherbrum-II and Broad Peak.

Tour operators said that the pass is a symbol of Pakistan’s adventure tourism and is a golden opportunity for Pakistan to market its mountains abroad.

Meanwhile, Samina urged the people to ensure that their girls get education.

“Pakistani women can work alongside the men in every profession, every field of work,” Baig said. “I appeal to the people, especially in the rural areas to give their daughters their basic right to education.”

Samina and Ali have so far scaled three peaks as part of the seven summits expedition, which is being financially supported by some philanthropists with logistical support from the Adventure Diplomacy Group.

Ali briefed the audience about the three peaks - Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Mount Vinson in Antarctica and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He said that each time they faced difficult conditions but braved the challenges to raise the Pakistani flag on each peak.

Ali said that during the Kilimanjaro ascent they faced unexpectedly strong winds and heavy rain, even though they had heard the mountain could be climbed in “jogging shoes”.

After a brief stay in Pakistan, the mountaineers will return to their expedition. They plan to climb Puncak Jaya in Indonesia. Ali will attempt Everest in April.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2014.