LAHORE   -   Naila Kiani, a worldwide leading high-altitude mountaineer, on Sunday achieved yet another historic milestone by successfully summiting Makalu, the 5th highest peak in the world, and her 11th 8,000-metre peak on Sunday. Kiani’s latest triumph underscores her exceptional skill and resilience, solidifying her reputation as one of the world’s foremost mountaineers, as the first ever Pakistani woman to achieve 11 of the world’s 14 highest peaks above 8,000 metres. She also leads as the fastest ever Pakistani in history, in both male and female categories, to have summited 11 of the 8,000m peaks, accomplished in under 3 years.

Her ascent of Makalu which has an elevation of 8,485 metres (27,838 ft) also means that she has become the first Pakistani woman to have summited this incredibly difficult mountain. In 2023, Kiani captured global attention by scaling 7 out of 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in 6 months, a feat achieved by only 10 mountaineers worldwide.

In addition to her mountaineering achievements, Naila Kiani’s diverse talents and dedication have garnered admiration worldwide. With a background in Aerospace Engineering from the University of London and her previous role as Associate Vice President at HSBC Middle East Bank, she has demonstrated remarkable versatility and determination in balancing her professional and personal pursuits.

Kiani is a role model and a goodwill ambassador for several organizations supporting women’s education and youth empowerment through sports. Her contributions to mountaineering and her commitment to social causes have been recognized by the government of Pakistan, which awarded her the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the highest civilian honour for a female athlete in the country.