Pakistan: Home to great mountains

Dubai: Pakistan is known for many things, one of them are its mighty tall mountains and people are celebrating that on International Mountain Day.

Pakistanis are also using the occasion to highlight the importance of maintaining a steady stream of tourists to strengthen the economy as well as preserving Nature.

Twitter user, Syed Hamza, @SHamza_Official wrote: “Pakistan’s northern areas are full of beautiful views of mountains. Pakistan’s economy can grow if we just focus on tourism by providing facilities in these areas, our government is working on it. I am unlucky I haven’t visited the beautiful sites but soon I’ll. #InternationalMountainDay”

Whereas, tweep, Fatima Fasih, @sustainistani, who describes herself as an environmentalist, posted: “Happy #InternationalMountainDay! Thank you to the Himalayas and the Karakoram for the fresh water supply every year, boosts to our tourism industry, the species you protect and livelihoods you provide to rural communities in Pakistan.”

Martin Kobler, German Ambassador to Pakistan, @KoblerinPAK, who is quite popular amongst Pakistani netizens for being constantly vocal about the country’s issues and highlighting its natural assets, shared pictures of himself from the hilly town of Bhurban in Punjab, Pakistan and tweeted: “On #InternationalMountainDay I convey my best greetings from #Bhurban enjoying the first snow of the season. Such a great heritage of #BeautifulPakistan! Important to protect this breathtaking Nature.”

Furthermore, the official twitter account of the government of Pakistan, @pid_gov, spread awareness on how important mountainous regions in the nation are to the environment: “Almost one billion people live in mountain areas and over half the human population depends on mountains for water, food and clean energy. Yet mountains are under threat from climate change, we need to step up and raise attention to protect mountains. #InternationalMountainDay”

Moreover, highlighting the prevalent issue of littering in Pakistan and sharing images of trash sprinkled on tourist spots, they also posted: “#Pakistan is home to world’s highest and most beautiful #mountains that include five mountains above an altitude of 8000m and 100 peaks above 7000m. We need to preserve them and keep them clean of litter. Be a responsible #Tourist and keep our mountains clean. #InternationalMountainDay”

Some social media users in the country took the opportunity to share pictures of beautiful mountainous landscapes.

User, Samad Chaudhary, @SamadChaudhary4, tweeted: “Let’s explore the beauty of Pakistan on #InternationalMountainDay”

Whereas, tweep, Mudasir Hussain Toorri, @mudasirtoori72, posted that the mountains have been “calling”: “The mountains are calling and I must go. Keep Mountains green and clean #InternationalMountainDay #Parachinar #Pakistan”

While most pictures shared were from Pakistan’s northern regions, Twitter user, Mariam Jamali, @Mariam_Jamali, chose to highlight the beauty of the southwestern province of Balochistan. She posted: “Unseen beauty, Zhob, Balochistan…”

Some facts about Pakistan’s mountains

- Pakistan is home to the second highest mountain – K2 also known as Mount Godwin-Austen.

- Nanga Parbat, the world’s ninth tallest mountain is in Pakistan. Mountain climbers have deemed the peak extremely difficult to climb and nicknamed it Killer Mountain due to the high number of mountaineering-related deaths.

- Out of the 13 mountains in the world that reach above 8,000 metres, Pakistan has five within its borders.

- Tirich Mir, highest mountain of the Hindu Kush range, as well as the highest mountain in the world outside of the Himalayas-Karakoram range, is located in the Chitral District of Pakistan.