Pakistani young sensation to climb Broad Peak at Pakistan-China border

China Economic Net

Abbotabad: Pakistani young sensation Selena Khawaja, 12, plans to soon summit the 8047-meter Broad Peak at the Pakistan-China border.

Broad Peak is the 12th highest peak in the world located on the border of Pakistan and China. It is considered to be a difficult summit.

Selena Khawaja’s father Yousef Khawaja will accompany her on the expedition. If Selena Khawaja and her father successfully summit this mountain, it would set a new world record for the youngest person to climb an 8000-meter mountain.

In 2019, Shehroze Kashif had become the youngest Pakistani to reach this altitude and the youngest ever to summit this peak at the age of 17. Selena Khawaja – nicknamed mountain princess of Pakistan – aims to beat his record by some five years.

The young mountaineer started climbing when she was only six years old. She grew up in Abbottabad. Her father, a single parent, encouraged and helped her reach her potential.

When Selena Khawaja was 10, she had already reached the top of many peaks – the highest of which is Spantik Peak at 7,027 meters in District Shigar in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Selena Khawaja plans to undertake the Mount Everest climb up next in 2022. Her father says funds are the only hurdle for the 12-year-old.

She has achieved much despite a lack of sponsors. However, in 2020, she met Vannessa Obrien, a famous explorer and mountaineer of the world, who took Selena Khawaja under her wing as a mentor.

Climbing Mount Everest will also award Selena Khawaja a record for the youngest girl to ever climb the 8,849m peak. The current record is held by Mulwah Purna at 13 years and 11 months and a boy from USA, Romaro, who is 13 years and 9 months old.

According to Selena Khawaja’s father Yousef Khawaja, she started climbing when she was very young. “In less than one year, she was able to do Miranjani (3,000m) round trip in half the time,” he said.

Yousef Khawaja said his daughter had then potential to become a great climber. “The Pakistan-China border peak will be an important landmark keeping in view our friendship (with China),” he added.

Selena Khawaja was just nine when she became the youngest to scale the 5,765 meters high Quz Sar Peak, and then she successfully summited Mingli Sar (6050 metres) in June 2018, before heading towards Spantik.

On Monday afternoon, ‘Dawlance’ electronics company announced it will support the young and ambitious mountaineer Selena Khawaja, for the ‘Broad Peak Summit.’

Umar Ahsan Khan, Chief Executive Officer Dawlance said his company “stands behind Selena in her vision of keeping the environment clean and green. She has been a strong advocate of environment sustainability which aligns with the sustainability goals of Dawlance. We wish her the very best in her journey.”