Keeping up with the Khawajas: Pakistani father-daughter duo risk it all to break Everest record

Selena Khawaja celebrating victory along with his father, Yousaf Khawaja, (Orange dress) after scaling Quz Sar Peak (5,765 meter) on February, 21st 2018. (Photo credit to Selena’s family)
Updated 01 June 2019
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Keeping up with the Khawajas: Pakistani father-daughter duo risk it all to break Everest record

  • If she succeeds, Selena will be the youngest person ever to climb the world’s highest peak
  • Experts say attempting the record is too risky and dangerous for someone Selena’s age

ABBOTTABAD: When Selena Khawaja closes her eyes to make a wish on her 11th birthday in October this year, everyone gathered around the table will already know what she wishes for.
By March 2020, with four years of experience under her belt, Selena is hoping to achieve the impossible – conquer Mount Everest, Earth’s highest peak, and become the youngest person in the world to have done so.
“I love climbing mountains. I can’t explain the joy I feel when I’m at the top. It’s as if you are ruling the world,” Selena, a six grader and resident of Abbottabad, told Arab News.




Selena Khawaja with her friends at school. She is a grad 06 student and going to scale Spantik Peak (7,027 meters) next month, May 15, 2019 Abbottabad. (AN Photo)

For the uninitiated, Mount Everest, which is documented to be 60 million years old, stands at 8,848 meters which is equal to 10.7 Burj Khalifas, the world’s tallest tower, stacked on top of one another.
However, neither her age nor the mountain’s dizzying height seems to act as a deterrent for the little climber who has set her sights on clinching the title – a record currently held by Jordan Romero, a 13-year-old American who summited Everest in 2010.
It’s a feat many would think was unimaginable for a child of 11 — many, except her father Yousaf Khawaja who realized when his daughter was just eight years old that she had a head for heights.




Selena Khawaja on her way to summit the Quz Sar Peak (5, 765 meter) on February, 21st 2018. (Photo credit to Selena’s family)

“She was amazing in climbing mountains. By doing a round trip of Miranjani Mountain (around 3,000 meters) in a quick span of time, I realized that she had the potential to become a great asset for the country,” Khawaja, 60, said about his only child.
He would know. As an experienced climber and mountaineering expert himself, Khawaja also doubles as Selena’s trainer and helped her achieve the impossible on February 21 last year when she became the youngest person to scale the 5,765-meter-high Quz Sar Peak in Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan, at the age of nine, according to official records.
Located in the scenic Shimshal Valley in the north of the country, climbing the Quz Sar Peak is no cakewalk. But Selena, with her short hair, tiny frame, and bespectacled, impish face, is no regular 10-year-old.




Selena Khawaja responding to a question in her grad 06 class at school at Abbottabad on May 15, 2019. (AN Photo)

At an age when most children worry about school tests, peer pressure, body image, and how to flaunt the perfect gaming techniques during a PlayStation mission, Selena catches up on NatGeo documentaries to learn from mistakes committed by other mountaineers before her.
Despite a choc-a-bloc schedule which begins early in the day, Selena still makes time for her favorite TV show, Bulbuly, and for her best friend, Fatima Zehra.
Zehra told Arab News that she was worried for Selena’s safety and well-being even as their teachers at Talking Heads, one of the more popular schools in Abbottabad district, supported their little “champion.”




Ayesha Arshad teaching English literature to Selena Khawaja’s class. She says, she is confident that Selena will climb Everest next year, Abbottabad May 15, 2019. (AN Photo)

“It’s very difficult to do two things simultaneously — studies and mountaineering, but our wishes and prayers are with Selena. We are proud that she is depicting a positive image of Pakistan,” Ayesha Arshad, Selena’s teacher told Arab News.
It’s a costly exercise, says Khawaja who has spent more than Rs2 million in helping Selena realize her dream. Together, they would need $200,000 to summit Everest. Khawaja is in talks with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and has asked for support.
Selena is aware of what’s at stake and the fitness levels required, especially since expeditions to the mountain can take up to two months from start to finish. She trains with her father at the gym for about an hour after school every day, which stretches to eight hours if she’s scheduled for field training.
By the end of June, she hopes to add Spantik Peak (7,027 meters) to her tally, before heading toward Broad Peak, which at 8,051 meters is the world’s 12th highest mountain.
She doesn’t needs to scale either in order to qualify for the Everest attempt, which requires mountaineers to have an experience of completing a 6,000-meter summit. Selena has already done that — twice.




Selena Khawaja standing atop Quz Sar Peak (5, 765 meter) on February, 21st 2018 along with her father, Yousaf Khawaja (Orange dress) and Wazir Baig (black trouser and red jacket). (Photo credit to Selena’s family)

“I’ve already completed the Level-1 mountaineering course. Level-2 is on the cards and after scaling the Spantik Peak by June end, I will be even more prepared,” she said.
While the elementary courses acclimatize climbers to the basics of mountain geology, climbing techniques, mountain rescue, and first aid, there are more pressing concerns at hand.
With temperatures dropping to as low as minus 60C, climbers can suffer acute altitude sickness as well as hypothermia, while several mountaineers have had to amputate their fingers and toes due to frostbite. Other issues include extreme weather patterns, dehydration, and a lack of appetite.
Khawaja says he’s factored in all these conditions. As a physical fitness instructor and nutritionist, he is aware of the dangers involved, especially at the highest points where mountaineers are breathing in a third of the amount of oxygen due to the atmospheric pressure and require bottled oxygen from 7,925 meters and above.
“It’s dangerous, there is no doubt about it. It requires absolutely no chance of a single mistake, but we are taking extra precautionary measures,” Khawaja said, adding that it would be a “fascinating experience for a father and daughter to scale Everest together.”
“By doing so, we will be bringing another record home, with Selena as the youngest individual and I, as the oldest Pakistani father, to scale Everest,” he said.




Selena Khawaja preparing to leave the school for home. The 10-year-old says she wants to register her name in the Guinness Book of World Records after summiting Mount Everest next year, May 15 2019, Abbottabad. (AN Photo)

Lt Col (retired) Dr. Abdul Jabbar Bhatti, who summitted Everest at the age of 60, showed his support.
“With training and a good lifestyle, Selena can become better at mountaineering. It is a dangerous sport even for a seasoned/experienced climber and for a child the dangers increase many times. But with extraordinary preparation, knowledge, training, and practice, Selena can acquire a very good balance on mountains,” he said.
Medical and mountaineering experts, however, aren’t too convinced.
“She is too young for it. A person should be at least 12 and above to attempt the climb. Also, her body isn’t equipped to scale mountains that are 7,000 meters and above,” Karim Hayat, a 46-year-old mountain guide and explorer who works as a climbing instructor at the Hunza Mountaineering Foundation, told Arab News.
Doctor Amir Zeb, director of rehabilitation at the Paraplegic Center in Peshawar, concurred.
“I don’t support the idea of her climbing Everest at the age of 11. She may have scaled 5,000 or 6,000 meters, but Everest is terrible. Apart from muscular fitness, her heartbeat may not support the endeavor either,” he said.
Col. Bhatti disagreed.
“It’s not age that determines someone’s qualification in mountaineering. It involves physical and mental fitness… Selena is more than fit, both physically and mentally, to take on high mountains in the world,” he said.
Selena, on her part, said she is more than ready to push the envelope.
“My efforts to achieve my goal will continue uninterrupted,” she said. “I want to conquer Everest and hoist Pakistan’s flag there.”


China’s BYD starts delivering vehicle in Pakistan, aim to roll out 100 units in 48 hours

Updated 11 sec ago
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China’s BYD starts delivering vehicle in Pakistan, aim to roll out 100 units in 48 hours

  • BYD partnered with Mega Motor Company last year to introduce electric vehicles in Pakistan
  • Both companies plan to establish 15 experience and care centers across Pakistan this year

KARACHI: China’s BYD, the world’s largest New Energy Vehicle (NEV) manufacturer, and Pakistan’s Mega Motor Company (MMC) started delivering vehicles in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on Friday, with plans to roll out 100 units within the first 48 hours, confirmed their official statement.
The milestone comes after BYD and MMC partnered last year to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in Pakistan, aiming to accelerate the country’s transition toward sustainable mobility.
BYD, a global leader in battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, has expanded aggressively in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Mega Motor, a subsidiary of Pakistan’s Hub Power Company (HUBCO), is spearheading the local manufacturing, distribution and sales of BYD-branded vehicles.
“It is an honor to embark on this crucial development chapter in Pakistan,” said Lei Jian, BYD country head in Pakistan.
“BYD has long been dedicated to fulfilling people’s aspirations for a better life through technological innovation,” he continued. “We firmly believe that BYD’s new energy vehicles and technologies are destined to make even greater contributions to Pakistan’s green development journey.”

This handout photo, released by China’s BYD auto company on February 28, 2025, shows BYD Experience and Care Centers in Islamabad. (BYD Pakistan/Handout)

The companies have launched BYD Experience and Care Centers in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, offering customers access to their advanced automobiles. 
he initial rollout includes models such as SEAL and ATTO 3, with plans to establish 15 centers across Pakistan this year to expand accessibility.
“We are thrilled to begin vehicle deliveries across Pakistan,” said Danish Khaliq, VP Sales and Strategy at MMC. “This marks the beginning of an exciting journey for BYD and our customers, as we introduce world-class NEV technology to drive Pakistan toward a cleaner and more sustainable future.”
NEVs refer to alternative-fuel vehicles that rely on electric, hybrid, hydrogen, or other non-traditional power sources instead of conventional gasoline or diesel engines.


Pakistan PM forms committee to boost economic growth, seeks recommendations in two weeks

Updated 29 min 5 sec ago
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Pakistan PM forms committee to boost economic growth, seeks recommendations in two weeks

  • Shehbaz Sharif says the most effective way to improve the growth rate is to increase the country’s exports
  • The prime minister wants the leading business personalities and industrialists to be part of the committee

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed to form of a committee comprising industrialists and cabinet members to ensure sustainable economic growth, instructing it to offer recommendations within two weeks.
The move comes as Pakistan grapples with a fragile economy that has witnessed multiple boom-bust cycles over the past decades, forcing successive governments to seek external financial assistance, including repeated bailouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sharif’s administration is focusing on increasing exports and attracting investment to drive long-term growth.
The prime minister decided to set up the committee during a meeting with a delegation of prominent businessmen and industrialists, where he highlighted the government’s commitment to create a business-friendly environment.
“The prime minister has sought suggestions from business personalities and industrialists regarding sustainable improvement in the country’s growth rate,” said a statement released by his office after the meeting. “He has directed the formation of a committee comprising business figures, industrialists and government ministers.”
“This committee will provide recommendations to the government within two weeks to achieve sustainable growth,” it added.
Sharif emphasized that boosting exports was the most effective way to improve the growth rate, noting that his administration had been working to facilitate businesses and attract foreign direct investment.
He also pointed to the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), which provides a one-window platform for investors, streamlining bureaucratic hurdles and offering incentives to businesses.
“The government is working on a priority basis to promote industry and business in the country,” he was quoted as saying during the meeting. “The business community and industrialists are the backbone of the country’s economy, and resolving their issues is our top priority.”
He highlighted recent improvements in macroeconomic indicators while acknowledging the need for further efforts to ensure the benefits of economic stability also begin to reach the public.


Pakistan signs deal with China for first astronaut mission to Tiangong space station

Updated 28 February 2025
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Pakistan signs deal with China for first astronaut mission to Tiangong space station

  • Both countries have deepened space cooperation, marked by satellite development and a lunar mission
  • Pakistani astronaut will train as a scientific payload specialist, conduct research aboard the space station

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark development, Pakistan’s space agency signed a cooperation agreement with China on Friday, setting the stage for the country’s first astronaut to embark on a mission to a Chinese space station, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to applaud the development.

Pakistan and China have deepened their space cooperation, marked by joint satellite development and a planned lunar mission. Last month, the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding for the South Asian nation’s first lunar rover to be included in China’s Chang’e 8 mission in 2028.

The rover, developed by Pakistan’s Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), will land at the lunar south pole, carrying scientific instruments designed by Pakistani, Chinese and European scientists. Pakistani scientists will operate the rover from Earth, conducting surface mapping, soil analysis and radiation studies.

Pakistan previously made its mark in lunar exploration in 2024, when its first lunar satellite, ICUBE-Q, developed by students at the Institute of Space Technology (IST) in collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was deployed aboard China’s Chang’e 6 mission to capture lunar images and collect magnetic field data.

SUPARCO has now signed a deal with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) to train and send a Pakistani astronaut to Tiangong, China’s space station, in an initiative expected to boost Pakistan’s presence in space research.

“It’s a great opportunity and a wonderful event where we have just witnessed the signing ceremony between Pakistan and China on extending our cooperation to promote space cooperation and getting ready to train our first Pakistani astronaut on a space flight to the Chinese space station,” Sharif said at the ceremony.

“This is yet another wonderful gesture from the Chinese government to further deepen our cooperation in this field and many other fields over the last many decades,” he added.

Sharif thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for supporting Pakistan, saying the two countries’ collaboration had transformed his country’s economy.

An official SUPARCO statement detailed the agreement, confirming two Pakistani astronauts will initially undergo training at the Astronaut Center of China, with one ultimately selected as a scientific payload specialist to conduct research aboard the Chinese space station. The astronaut selection process will be completed by 2026, with a planned spaceflight in an upcoming mission.

The mission will focus on scientific experiments across multiple disciplines, including biological and medical sciences, aerospace, applied physics, fluid mechanics, space radiation, ecology, material sciences, microgravity studies and astronomy.

“The China Space Station is equipped with state-of-the-art experimental racks and external adaptors, facilitating multi-domain research,” the statement said, adding that findings from the experiments are expected to contribute to medical research, environmental monitoring and space technology with potential benefits for life on Earth.


Russian delegation in Pakistan to discuss ‘economic cooperation’ — embassy

Updated 28 February 2025
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Russian delegation in Pakistan to discuss ‘economic cooperation’ — embassy

  • Pakistan, Russia have strengthened ties in recent years through increased dialogue, trade
  • In 2023, Islamabad began purchasing discounted Russian oil banned from European markets

ISLAMABAD: A Russian delegation arrived in Pakistan today, Friday, for a day-long visit to discuss economic cooperation, the Russian embassy in Islamabad said.

The visit comes days after state media reported Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert P. Khorev had announced cooperation with Islamabad this year in the energy and industrial sectors, including the modernization of a state-owned steel mill.

Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have strengthened ties in recent years through increased dialogue and trade. In 2023, Islamabad began purchasing discounted Russian crude oil banned from European markets due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and also received its first shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Moscow. 

“It is a trade delegation that came to discuss economic cooperation between Russia and Pakistan,” Russian Embassy Public Relations Officer Igor Kolesenkove told Arab News. “More details will be revealed later.”

He did not respond to questions on whether Pakistan Steel Mills would be on the talks’ agenda. 

A team of technical experts from Russia visited Pakistan in January to assess Pakistan Steel Mills, one of several state-owned firms Islamabad aims to privatize to revive loss-making entities and deliver reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout.

During a meeting earlier this month between Ambassador Khorev and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, both countries agreed to activate a bilateral anti-terrorism dialogue and discussed enhancing cooperation in counter-terrorism and anti-narcotics efforts, with Pakistani officers invited to participate in anti-narcotics training programs in Moscow and Siberia.

Last year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk visited Pakistan to discuss trade, energy, connectivity, and defense ties. 


‘Don’t care’: Hosts’ exit deflates Champions Trophy buzz in Pakistan

Updated 28 February 2025
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‘Don’t care’: Hosts’ exit deflates Champions Trophy buzz in Pakistan

  • The South Asian country has been gradually returning to hosting international teams after years of militancy marked it a no-go zone
  • Security in cities has vastly improved in recent years, including in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, where the matches are being held

KARACHI: Champions Trophy fever in Pakistan has plummeted after the hosts crashed out of the first major cricket event in the country in three decades without winning a game.
“It feels like attending a wedding where you don’t know the bride or groom,” said Kashan Khan, a medical student who watched Pakistan get beaten by New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening match in Karachi last week.
The defending champions then lost to great rivals India by six wickets to seal their fate, before their dead-rubber last group game against Bangladesh on Thursday was washed out.
“Pakistan’s poor performance has drained my enthusiasm. I don’t care about watching other teams now,” added Khan.
Pakistan’s failure to advance beyond the group phase or even win a game was a huge letdown in a country that has been gradually returning to hosting international teams after years of militancy saw it marked as a no-go zone.
Security in cities has vastly improved in recent years, including in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, where the matches are being held.
But disheartened fans have begun abandoning the tournament.
Outside Rawalpindi Stadium ticket-holders were seen trying to sell their unwanted seats ahead of Pakistan’s match against Bangladesh, but there were no takers.
“I had three tickets but no one wanted to buy them,” said Farooq Ali.
“I even tried giving them away for free, but my friends weren’t interested.”
For many, the final on March 9 holds little appeal, particularly given its location is still undecided.
Arch-rivals India, with which Pakistan has fought several wars, refused to visit its neighbor and are playing all their matches in Dubai.
In painful contrast to Pakistan’s woes, India are into the semifinals and if they reach the title decider, the final will be moved from Lahore to Dubai.
“If Pakistan isn’t playing in it, why should we care?” asked Amna Mashadi, who watched the tournament on television.
Pakistan’s latest flop dealt a severe blow not just to supporters, but also to the financial ecosystem surrounding the eight-nation event.
With Pakistan out, TV viewership has nose-dived, advertising revenues have shrunk and sponsors are demanding reductions in their campaign costs.
Pakistan’s stated-owned PTV and Ten Sports bought the joint broadcast shares of the 15 matches, each paying 1.2 billion rupees ($4.25 million).
Sources with knowledge of the broadcast deal told AFP that the two broadcasters have already lost close to 180 million rupees in two rained off matches in Rawalpindi.
Broadcasters are bracing for losses as they search for takers for the usually prime advertising spots in the semifinals and final.
“Sports advertising is always a gamble,” said a senior employee at a Pakistani company, one of the tournament’s top advertisers.
“Sponsorship deals cover the whole tournament, so pulling out isn’t an option.
“But when the national team exits early, consumers go away and the sale of the product suffers.”
Shopkeeper Mohammad Rizwan — he coincidentally has the same name as the Pakistan captain — had anticipated selling 60,000 cricket shirts of the home team.
Instead he only sold about a third of that.
“The demand for Pakistan shirts was overwhelming and in the week leading up to the event, I doubled my order,” Rizwan told AFP.
“But as soon as the team started losing, the demand plummeted. Now, I have huge unsold stock in my warehouse.
“It’s a massive loss.”
Renowned television and film actor Adnan Siddiqui fears that Pakistan’s underwhelming performance might push young fans away from the sport altogether.
“I grew up watching cricket late at night or early in the morning,” Siddiqui told AFP.
“But after these defeats, my son has lost interest completely. The real loss here is of the next generation of players and fans.”
Siddiqui flew to watch the India-Pakistan match in Dubai on Sunday and returned heartbroken.
“We used to beat India frequently but now they are well ahead of us in terms of skill and bravery. Our team looked scared.”
Despite the gloom some remain hopeful.
“This is a low point but the sun will rise again,” said Khalil Khan, a club-level cricket coach in Karachi.
“Cricket is the only sport that puts Pakistan on the global map and I’m sure our team will bring joy again in the future.”