On Sunday, Naila Kiani accomplished a remarkable feat, becoming the second Pakistani woman to conquer the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, standing at a towering height of 8,848 meters in Nepal.
In a separate extraordinary achievement, Sajid Ali Sadpara etched his name in history by becoming the first Pakistani climber to summit Mount Everest without relying on high-altitude porters or supplemental oxygen.
Both adventurers embarked on their journey towards the summit on Saturday evening.
Karar Haidri, Secretary General of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed that Kiani holds the distinction of being the first Pakistani woman to summit four peaks over 8,000 meters and the second to triumph over the mighty Everest. The first Pakistani woman to achieve this milestone was Samina Baig in 2013.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter to congratulate Naila Kiani, expressing immense pride in her accomplishment that has brought honor to Pakistan.
Adding yet another feather to her cap, Naila Kiani has made Pakistan proud by summiting Mount Everest. Through her passion for mountaineering & amazing achievements to her credit, she has reinforced the notion that our women are capable of achieving anything. Heartiest…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 14, 2023
Kiani, a Pakistani banker based in Dubai, wears multiple hats as an amateur boxer, and a devoted mother to her two daughters. She initially rose to prominence when her wedding shoot at K2 Basecamp captured widespread attention on social media back in 2018.
In her mountaineering pursuits, Kiani has conquered remarkable heights. In 2021, she successfully summited Gasherbrum-II (8,035m) and achieved the challenging ascent of Gasherbrum-I (8,068m), K2, and Annapurna peaks. Notably, Kiani joined the ranks of accomplished climbers by conquering K2, the world’s second tallest peak, following in the footsteps of Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to achieve this incredible feat.