Ali Sadpara is a True Legend

Naeem Kandwal
“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die”. It is the saying of Max Holloway. A hero is a real person who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage or strength, and sometimes he even sacrifices his precious life. Such person deserve to be called a legend. Mohammad Ali Sadpara is a true Legend and our national Hero. “The journey is definitely marked with failures and successes. But the love of climbing mountains never allowed me to hold back.” it is his famous saying. Mohammad Ali Sadpara is the only Pakistani to have climbed eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, and he made the first ever winter ascent of the world’s ninth highest peak, Nanga Parbat. On Friday 5 February he went missing along with two others – Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr – while trying to climb K2, the world’s second highest peak at 8,611m (28,251 ft) and also reputedly the deadliest. His son Sajid was also a member of the team and the idea was for the father-and-son duo to summit K2 without oxygen, a feat never done before in winter. But Sajid had to turn back from a spot called the Bottleneck – also known as the “death zone”, some 300 metres from the top – after he felt sick. He has since helped military-led rescue teams scour the mountain for signs of his    father and the other two men – but there has been no trace of any of them. Mohammad Ali Sadpara was born in 1976 in Sadpara, a village in one of the river valleys of the Himalayan Baltistan region in Pakistan’s extreme north. He was born in the village of Sadpara, in periphery of Skardu city, in the extreme north of Pakistan to Fiza Sadpara. The youngest of eleven children, eight of his siblings did not survive childhood. He married his wife, Fatima, when he was 19 and had his first son, Sajid, soon after. He has a total of three children. He completed his FA from a government college in Skardu. He was member of his college football team. He started his career as a high altitude porter assisting in mountain climbing expeditions. Like most porters, Ali traversed the rugged Baltoro Glacier in flip-flops and castoff gear. His passion for mountaineering led to him becoming a successful mountaineer. He had the physique and the habits of an athlete, and was also good in studies. According to Dunya news Ali Sadpara has been declared dead. Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan has on Thursday declared missing mountaineers Ali Sadpara and his companions John Snorri from Iceland and Juan Pablo Mohr from Chile as dead. The minister held a press conference and said that keeping in mind the weather conditions at K2, Pakistan Army, government and family of the mountaineer have reached the conclusion that Ali Sadpara and his comrades have expired. Nasir Ali Khan said, “Government pays tribute to the services of national hero Ali Sadpara, and he will be given civil award along with his son Sajid Sadpara. A mountaineering school will be established in the name of Ali Sadpara. “The federal government has been recommended to attribute Skardu Airport to Ali Sadpara. The mountaineer’s children will be given educational scholarships and his family will be provided financial and moral assistance. A law will be made for the families of the victim climbers.” Sajid Sadpara, who was along with his father in his quest to summit K2 without oxygen and had to return after his health deteriorated midway, said, “Ali Sadpara met an accident after summiting K2 and is now resting in the mountain forever. All resources were utilized in the search and rescue operation. “My family has lost a beloved father, the Pakistani nation has lost a patriot and national hero and the world has lost a skilled mountaineer. I will continue my father’s mission and fulfill his dreams.” All the world is paying tribute to Ali Sadpara. Pakistani singer Ali Zafar has paid a musical tribute to him with his latest rendition. Releasing a musical tribute “Tum Chalay Ao Paharon Ki Qasam” for the legendary mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Zafar said: “No nation can thrive without recognising and celebrating their heroes. Ali Sadpara was one such unsung hero who dedicated his entire life and risked it to accomplish unprecedented feats for his country.” “This is the least I could do: sing for an unsung hero so that he is etched into our memories for as long as there is music,” he said in a facebook post. President Arif Alvi expressed condolences to Muhammad Ali Sadpara’s family as well as the families of the other climbers. ” I express my condolences to Ali Sadpara’s family. May Allah grant this brave man eternal    place in Jannah. He battled nature with strength, fortitude and heroism. Condolences to the families & citizens, of Iceland’s John Snorri Sigurjónsson & Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto”. he tweeted.Ali Sadpara is a true legend. He is our national hero. His ( declared ) death is a great shock not only to Pakistanis but to the whole world. He will always live in our hearts because his character is alive. We are proud of him. The world has lost a Legend. We salute him.