Salman Ateeque becomes 13th Pakistani to summit Mount Everest

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani climber Salman Ateeque has successfully summited Mount Everest, becoming the 13th Pakistani to reach the peak.

Ateeque reached the 8,849-metre summit at around 11:39am during the 2026 Himalayan climbing season, which has attracted hundreds of climbers from around the world.

Sources familiar with the season said around 464 climbing permits were issued to mountaineers from 80 countries, with the largest groups coming from China and India.

Ateeque was reportedly the only Pakistani climber to secure an Everest permit this year.

The mountaineer, who has a background in electrical engineering and more than two decades of experience in the telecommunications sector, had earlier summited Mount Manaslu in Nepal last year.

Officials associated with the expedition said he crossed the Khumbu Icefall successfully and made his final summit push during a favourable weather window.

His achievement adds to Pakistan’s growing record in high-altitude mountaineering.

Nazir Sabir became the first Pakistani to summit Everest in 2000, while Samina Baig became the first Pakistani woman to scale the mountain in 2013.

Other Pakistani climbers to summit Everest include Hassan Sadpara, Mirza Ali Baig, Abdul Jabbar Bhatti, Shehroze Kashif, Sirbaz Khan, Sajid Ali Sadpara, Naila Kiani, Wajidullah Nagri, Abdul Joshi and Saad Bin Munawar.

Sirbaz Khan is recognised as the first Pakistani to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres, while Sajid Ali Sadpara became the first Pakistani to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen.

The mountaineering community is now awaiting Ateeque’s safe return to Everest Base Camp following the successful ascent.