Shaheer Ahmed
Pakistani mountaineers have made Pakistan Proud. The younger generation got inspired and is now making records one after the other. Ali Raza Sadpara, known as the humble master, one of the pioneers of high altitude climbing, was supposed to climb K2 this summer and he was practicing for it. While climbing the cliff, he slipped off into a ditch sustaining injuries. He was rushed to hospitals with fractured ribs and spinal cords. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sustain the injuries and passed away.
Last year, Muhammad Ali Sadpara got lost in the high-altitude mountains along with his two companions. It was a huge loss for Pakistan’s mountaineering. His son later found him. While Pakistan is mourning his loss, Ali Raza Sadpara, another legendary mountaineer, passed away.
Ali Raza Sadpara started as a high-altitude porter at an age of 20 in 1992. He became the strongest one. He has the credit of climbing Pakistan’s 8,000-metre peaks (or 8,000ers) 17 times, including the Broad Peak (8,047m) five times, Gasherbrum-II (8,035m) four times, Gasherbrum-I (8,068m) four times and Nanga Parbat (8,125m). He was not only the most technical and strongest climber along with M. Ali Sadpara, Hassan Sadpara, and Nisar Sadpara, who not only promoted adventure tourism in Pakistan but also guided and trained renowned mountaineers.
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His friends grieved over his loss. Sadiq Sadpara said, “We lost another star. The vacuum cannot be filled.” An American climber, Luke Smithwick, said, “It’s important to remember a humble master who climbed the mighty 8,000ers many times.”
Ali Raza Sadpara passed away this morning. I snapped the photo last Summer while climbing Gasherbrum Two, he was with another team yet we all work together on 8000 meter mountains, that’s how summits happen.
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It’s important that he is remembered, a humble master. pic.twitter.com/xKriAyGI1O— Luke Smithwick (@lukesmithwick) May 27, 2022
The young mountaineer Sirbaz Khan said, “He had spent his life serving the country and trained a whole generation of mountaineers. We called him ustaadon ka ustaad.” Sajid Ali Sadpara, (M.Ali Sadpara’s son) said “Above everything, Ali Raza was a good human being who had taught his equally famed father. Despite old age, Ali Raza had amazing stamina and was more active than young climbers.”
Pakistan’s first female climber, Naila Kiani had the honor of summiting an 8,000m peak in Pakistan, undertook the Gasherbrum II expedition along with Ali Raza last year, and had planned to summit K2 with him this summer. Mourning the loss of her “teacher, guide, friend”, she said, “He made us laugh like crazy during the most difficult times in the last expedition. Why did you have to leave so soon before seeing all of your dreams come true? You taught climbing to so many people, helped the Pakistan Army on so many missions, and rescued so many people in the mountains. A true hero, a legend. Chacha, your name will live forever.”
Dr. Arif Alvi expressed his grief over Ali Raza Sadpara’s demise. In a message of condolence, the president prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude. Expressing grief over his demise Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said, “May Allah Almighty bless the departed soul in eternal peace, Ameen.” Gilgit-Baltistan CM Khalid Khurshid Khan and members of the GB Assembly also expressed their condolences on the loss of the Humble Master.
