Background
Ali Sadpara: A Knockout Storm. The hidden gem of Pakistan became a part of the limelight after his successful 2016 Nanga Parbat winter summit. He ended up making a world record out of it. He aced the record with two other flabbergasting mountaineers, Alex Texikon of Spain and Simone Moro of Italy. But we lost the unbreakable Sadpara a week ago when on February 5th he was reported missing somewhere within the deadly depths of K2.
Ali Sadpara, belong to the village of Sadpara known for porters that helped dozens of backpackers and mountaineers carry their crushing load on the Baltoro glacier. Above all, it is the same village that the infamous Hassan Sadpara and now deceased Nisar Hussain Sadpara belonged to.
Winter K2 was a dream of Ali. He knew the two possible outcomes of mountaineering life and death. He embraced life with utmost zeal. This joyful, kind-hearted and warm soul talked about embracing death in the face of it. We are definitely sure of his harmonious cuddle with the after life.
Food for Thought
The more important aspect of his demise is steering up of questions. For instance, until when these unsung heroes will have to leave for us to celebrate them? Why were we unaware of a man situating the Green flag on the highest of the peaks? In addition to this, why does the recognition that they receive is not because they live for their dreams but because they die for it?
Ali Sadpara raised our flag on the highest of the peaks. Moreover, he served his motherland during the mid-1990s by shuttling supplies to Pakistan Army posts leading to Siachen. Navigating through one the highest and perhaps the deadliest battlegrounds of the world Sadpara became fearless and reckless.
His peers remember him in the best of the words. It is high time that our state starts providing these lion hearts with all sorts of financial, moral, physical, and emotional support. Consequently they will at least have a few lesser restraints standing in front of their glorious dreams. The legacy that Ali left behind will definitely act as a flambeau for his community. This hero of ours might never be able to return to his homeland but he is where he belonged; in the savage mountains.