As many as 16 professionals were awarded the 3rd Pakistan Mountains Pride Awards here Monday at the grand finale of the 12th Pakistan Mountain Festival, a flagship event by Devcom-Pakistan. 

The 12-day advocacy festival was organized in collaboration with NRSP, PPAF, Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), National Heritage and Culture Division, Fatima Jinnah University, Rawalpindi Women University, SZABIST Islamabad Campus, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), Comsats University CS Adventure Club, and GBC Council to commemorate International Mountain Day that falls on December 11.

The guests of honour included Country Head of Italian Cooperation Development in Pakistan Emanuela Benini, chairman of Rural Support Programmes Network Shoaib Sultan Khan, Pakistan’s renowned mountaineer Nazir Sabir, EvK2CNR Senior Scientific Advisor Ashiq Ahmed Khan, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Group Head Institutional Development, Innovation, and Integration Irshad Khan Abbasi, Pakistan’s globally celebrated mountaineer Sarbaz Khan, and Director General PNCA Ayub Jamali.

Sifat Gul, Garamchashma (Chital), Sakina Bi Ibrahim from Shigar (Baltistan), Gul Begam from Ghizer, Nusrat Yousuf from Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) won the Shoaib Sultan Khan Mountain Community Development Awards.

Marium Majeed Dar of Forward Kahuta (AJK) and Rashida Khanam from Chitral were given the Agostino Da Polenza Mountain Conservation Award.  

Pakistan's celebrated women mountaineers Sameena Baig and Naila Kiani got Nazir Sabir Mountaineering Award.

Ustad Mir Afzal, sitar player, was conferred with the Ustad Jan Ali Mountain Music Award.

Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund launched ‘PPAF SMEs Award’ under the banner of Pakistan Mountain Awards. This year’s award winners included Nazia Hussain (Chitral), Nasreen Moosa (Skardu), Karim Salman (Hunza), and Samiullah (Swat).

Gilgit-Baltistan Music Group and maestro sitar player from Swat Mir Afzal created a fusion of mountain music. PNCA National Performing Arts Group (NPAG) presented Kalash dance and Sindhi jhoomar. A young vocalist from Rawalpindi Women University Laiba Khan sang paharon ki qasm challay aao. A seasoned filmmaker Khalid Mahmood showed his documentary about the Pakistani climbers who summited K2 during 1977-2022.

Talking about the objectives of the Pakistan Mountain Festival and Pakistan Mountains Pride Awards, Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said: “Pakistan Mountains Pride Awards (PAMPA) were launched in 2019 to recognize the services par excellence of the individuals who have rendered their services to mountain conservation and uplift the communities over the decades, mountaineering, sustainable mountain tourism and for the promotion of mountain music. Before PAMPA, there was no system of recognition and encouragement for the marvelous people of the mountains. The PAMPA was launched to fill the void, initially with five categories. PPAF has added four SMEs awards from this year which makes a total of sixteen awards.”

Speaking on the occasion, Nazir Sabir said: "Some Pakistani women are showing courage in mountaineering, more shall join the flock. Sameena Baig and Naila Kiani both are internationally acclaimed mountaineers. Naila Kiani has become the first Pakistani woman to scale three peaks of over 8,000 meters, as she climbed Gasherbrum 1 peak in August 2022." Gasherbrum is the 11th highest peak in the world.

Shoaib Sultan Khan said our rural support programmes have significantly contributed to the socioeconomic development of communities all over Pakistan, especially in mountain areas. They do a wonderful job, and recognition of their services is much appreciated. It would encourage mountain communities, mountaineers, and conservationists to do more in a much more befitting manner.