Dubai-based Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani is a role model for all women, says ambassador

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi hosted Naila Kiani, a renowned Pakistani mountaineer, at the Pakistan House on Monday.

Naila Kiani is a banker by profession based in Dubai. She is also a boxer, rock climber, and mountaineer. She is the first and only Pakistani woman mountaineer to climb six peaks above 8,000 metres.

Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi congratulated Kiani on her remarkable achievement and extended best wishes for her future expeditions.

Tirmizi called her as a role model for young and dynamic Pakistani women across the world who has effectively followed her passion while meeting her family and professional commitments.

Last month, Kiani summitted Mount Everest, becoming the second Pakistani woman to raise her country's flag at the world's highest peak.

Scaling up to 8,849 metres, she reached the summit at 8:02am, along with Pasang Temba Sherpa. She has also become the first non-Nepalese climber to reach Everest's summit this mountaineering season.

Samina Baig was the first woman mountaineer from Pakistan to scale the Everest in 2013.

Kiani is the only Pakistani woman to scale five eight-thousanders — which now includes Mount Everest - all within a span of two years. Before this, she climbed Annapurna I in Nepal, K2, Gasherbrum I and II.

She is now aiming to scale 8,516m high Lhotse, the fourth tallest mountain in her current visit to Nepal. Kiani was among the two Pakistani mountaineers who had been rescued on their way down to Mount Annapurna recently.

She was accompanied by the world's youngest mountaineer Shehroze Kashif on their ascent to 8,091 metres high peak in Nepal.

A day after reaching the mountain top, the two climbers were rescued as their descent was disrupted due to bad weather. With Annapurna ascent, Kiani became the first woman from South Asia to achieve the feat.