President for international moot on mountaineering

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23 2009 (APP): HE President Asif Ali Zardari has urged the government to consider hosting an international conference on mountaineering in Pakistan to refocus the attention of the world community on the range and scale of mountaineering Pakistan offered.

He was meeting with mountaineers Hassan Sadpara and Ghulam Mohammad who plan to climb Mount Everest this year, at the Presidency today.

Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for KANA (Kashmir And Northern Areas), Chief Executive Northern Areas, Mr. Shaheen baig, Mr. Nazir Sabir renownd climber & President of the Alpine Club and officials of relevant ministries were also present in the meeting.

The President said that mountaineering in Pakistan needed to be patronized and developed to attract climbers from all over the world in large number on the one hand and
encourage the youth to take to mountaineering as a sport to engage themselves in healthy activities, on the other.

The President wished Hassan Sadpara and his mountaineering associate success in the expedition to climb Mount Everest. He said that the government would extend all possible help to them in their expedition and to hoist Pakistani flag on the world’s highest peak.

The President also advised the government to consider setting up special training institutes for the training of climbers. He said that if proper institutional framework was provided the country’s youth will be attracted to mountaineering to expend their energy for themselves and for bringing up the name and glory to the country.

The President of the Alpine club presented a report on proposals to promote mountaineering which the President said would be examined by the government.