Raja Javed Akhtar Khan
Raja Javed Akhtar Khan was an army officer (Staff College, Camberley) and a prodigious mountaineer. He became first Pakistani to summit a “major” peak, when he reached atop Masherbrum (7821m), labeled K1 by Thomas G. Montgomerie, on 8th July, 1960.
Akhtar reached eastern peak of Malubiting (7458m) at a height of 7150m in 1959, as a member of British-Pakistan Forces expedition, led by Major H. R. A. Streather. It was followed by a successful expedition that made first ascent of Masherbrum. Willi Unsoeld and George Irving Bell summited on 6th July 1960. Two day later Nicholas B. Clinch, the leader of the expedition and Javed Akhtar reached on top of Masherbrum together. For this notable achievement, he was awarded the President’s Pride of Performance Award in 1961 in the category of sports. Akhtar was first mountaineer to receive this award.
Javed Akhtar lead several Pakistani expeditions to different peaks in Karakoram and Hindukush, most prominent being 1969 expedition to Broad Peak. Javed Akhtar, who was a Major by then and second-in-command of 30 FF Bn, was killed during 1971 Indo-Pak war. Akhtar showed a heroic display of his military excellence in the absence of ample resources at Dhullai, before his death on 31-oct-1971.
Akhtar reached eastern peak of Malubiting (7458m) at a height of 7150m in 1959, as a member of British-Pakistan Forces expedition, led by Major H. R. A. Streather. It was followed by a successful expedition that made first ascent of Masherbrum. Willi Unsoeld and George Irving Bell summited on 6th July 1960. Two day later Nicholas B. Clinch, the leader of the expedition and Javed Akhtar reached on top of Masherbrum together. For this notable achievement, he was awarded the President’s Pride of Performance Award in 1961 in the category of sports. Akhtar was first mountaineer to receive this award.
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