The Soft Power of Pakistan Ascent Through Mountain Diplomacy

Faster globalization of the world environment, where perception is the determinant of power, and the tactical application of soft power has emerged as heart of current diplomacy. Nowadays, in pursuing an influence on other nations, countries no longer resort to force. In fact, relying on non-coercive tools: culture, sports, education, tourism, etc. The recent diplomatic perspectives of the Islamic nation Pakistan in the form of recognition of Qatari royal and mountaineer Sheikha Asma Al Thani, is a good illustration of this changing posture.

Reframing Mountains: Margins to Arenas of Cooperation in Conflict

Having successfully conquered the dangerous Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain peak on earth, a deadliest, the so called Killer Mountain. Sheikha Asma did not only make her mark in the history of high-altitude mountaineering, but she has also boosted the image of Pakistan in the world map. When the hunting was over, her subsequent appointment by the prime minster Shehbaz Sharif as the brand ambassador of the mountains and tourism of Pakistan is an attempt that combines appreciation, diplomacy, and the art of branding.

This appreciation goes beyond the sporting phenomenon and borders on the inner aspects of international relations. The success of Sheikha Asma is symbolic of her personal victory and more of a diplomatic occasion whereby the redefinition of the Pakistani identity in the global context is being altered. It is a deliberate and steady move on the part of the government to use adventure sports as a source of soft power when they rewarded a foreign climber, especially a Gulf royal and an Arab Muslim woman.

Soft power as a term coined by a political scientist Joseph Nye describes the capability of a country to impact others without coercion or being paid, but only by attraction, inspiration and cultural appeal. This type of influence is the perfect venue that is made available via high-altitude mountaineering where Pakistan can reflect the same via propagating images of valor, perseverance, and global friendship.

Pakistan is demonstrating a growing interest in cultural diplomacy which comes out in the official reception organized in the honor of Sheikha Asma at the PM Office in Islamabad. This can be seen as a calculated effort to attribute the mountains of the country with the ideals of adaptability, diversity, and intercultural cooperation. Since she was named a symbol of perseverance and inspiration. This is a move towards rewriting the history of the northern regions of Pakistan, which are full of civil wars and inaccessible to the rest of the world, into one of possibilities, scenic beauty, and international interest.

In the past, the soaring mountains have attracted adventurous climbers around the globe and yet the international discussions have not focused much on the role that Pakistan had played in such an ecosystem. The Pakistan Army Aviation branch, as well as the local population in Gilgit-Baltistan, have always helped and assisted the foreigners to conduct their expeditions by means of logistic coordination and rescue activities at a high altitude. Such communities such as the professional Balti porters are often the unsung heroes of most summits. In its tribute to Sheikha Asma, Pakistan refers to this larger practice of stewardship in guarding the mountains and sustaining them.

The symbolism that underlies the awarding of Sheikha Asma also overlaps with modern issues around the globe like gender empowerment and the unity of Muslims. Being a Qatari princess and one of the representatives of Arab women striving to make such extreme journeys, she breaks the traditional gender categories and serves as an example to the female athletes who are eager to participate in sports activities, especially in Muslim world. The fact that she was hired as a mountain tourism ambassador by another Muslim-majority country only drives this point home, as it suggests that the region is headed toward more liberal, gender-friendly images of leadership and success.

There is also a rather economic and strategic meaning of this act of soft diplomacy. Pakistan is a country that has potential in adventure tourism industry with its mesmerizing landscape, lofty mountains, diverse cultures and very few touched this silver mine on its prime stage. Honoring unifying international heroes such as Sheikha Asma makes great stories, which have the potential of capturing the attention of adventure-goers, environmentalists and cultural vacationers. More tourism may result in creating jobs, developing infrastructure, and sharing culture, especially in nature-rich areas that are underdeveloped economically such as Chilas, Hunza, and Skardu. Also, such globally emblematic figures used in branding may bring overseas tourism, hospitality and conservation investment.

Positioning Sheikha Asma as a national representative not only of courage but also of international solidarity, Pakistan makes a statement to the rest of the world that this country is open, welcoming, and willing to guide the regional discourse of adventure, sustainability, and cultural integration.

Further, the fact that Nanga Parbat has survived as a place of danger and turned it into a stage of peace and advancement demarcates the way nature geography can be redefined in line with the current global values. The mountains in Pakistan are no longer to be considered as distant and hazardous theorems, with every intention to go as quickly as possible, now they are rapidly becoming a sign of international cooperation, ecological conservation, and human endurance. Designed and maintained with proper policies and regular cultural endorsement, such mountains can be both places of sport champions, and diplomatic and education centers, as well as places of interfaith peace and harmony.

To sum up, the ascent to the Nanga Parbat and consequent appointment to a post of a national tourism envoy by Sheikha Asma Al Thani can be seen as not only a triumph of individual efforts