ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said that the operation to retrieve the body of mountaineer Asma Mushtaq from Spantik Peak in the Karakoram Range has been temporarily suspended due to severe weather conditions.
The rescue team reached almost near Camp 3, but due to severe weather conditions, heavy snowfall, and strong winds, the team had to turn back and return to Camp 2, he said in a post on X.
“High Altitude Porters were expected to reach Camp-3 for retrieval of the body of Dr.Asma and bring it down to base camp by tomorrow,” he added.
Update on retrieval of Dr Asma’s body from Spantik Mountain in the Karakoram range:
High Altitude Porters were expected to reach Camp-3 for retrieval of the body of Dr.Asma and bring it down to base camp by tomorrow.
The rescue team reached almost near Camp 3, but due to… https://t.co/ptpuCOcFQp
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) August 23, 2026
A helicopter has been authorised for the retrieval operation, with coordination established between the Gilgit-Baltistan government and the Force Command Northern Areas (FCNA), the minister added.
“Alternate arrangements are also in place. Whatever can be done in these circumstances will be done,” the minister said.
He further added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is being kept updated on the situation.
Asma Mushtaq body’s recovery mission
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said in a statement that Asma Mushtaq’s body remained at an altitude of around 6,400 metres, while the recovery team had reached Camp 2 before operations were suspended due to heavy snowfall.
The team was advised to return to Base Camp and wait for a suitable weather window before resuming the recovery effort, the ACP said.
The operation is being coordinated by Mushtaq’s expedition company in collaboration with the Tourism Department, local government and the ACP. Climbers from several expeditions are also participating in the recovery effort.
Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq has died while descending Spantik (7,027 m), also known as Golden Peak, in Pakistan’s Karakoram on 20 August.
According to a statement from Karakoram Calling, Asma successfully reached the summit in good health alongside her mountain guide,… pic.twitter.com/X5tfMTfLCf
— Everest Today (@EverestToday) August 20, 2026
The ACP said the circumstances surrounding Asma Mushtaq’s death, along with the conduct and response of the expedition company, would be thoroughly investigated once the teams had safely descended and her body had been recovered.
“Any necessary action will follow the findings of that investigation,” it said.
Asma Mushtaq’s death
Mountaineer Asma Mushtaq died during her descent from Spantik Peak after successfully reaching its 7,027-metre summit, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said on Thursday.
Mushtaq was in good health when she reached the summit of Spantik in the Karakoram range, according to the ACP. However, while descending at an altitude of around 6,400 metres, she suffered a severe high-altitude medical emergency and died despite immediate efforts by her mountain guides to save her.
The ACP expressed deep grief over her death, with its president, Major General (retd) Irfan Arshad Khan, and members of the club extending condolences to her family, friends and the wider mountaineering community.
Mushtaq was originally from Lahore and worked in Britain as a doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, according to her social media profiles.
Away from her medical career, she was a traveller, vlogger and mountaineer who documented her expeditions on social media.
Another loss for mountaineering community
Mushtaq’s death comes just weeks after a major tragedy on Broad Peak, where renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja and nine other members of an international expedition died after being swept away by an avalanche on July 30.
The Broad Peak tragedy claimed the lives of climbers from several countries, including Pakistan, Nepal, China, Oman and the United States, highlighting once again the extreme risks faced by mountaineers attempting some of the world’s highest and most challenging peaks.
ALSO READ: Pakistani Mountaineer Asma Mushtaq Dies During Descent from Spantik Peak
Spantik, also known as Golden Peak, is one of Pakistan’s prominent climbing destinations in the Karakoram and attracts mountaineers from around the world. Mushtaq’s successful summit before the fatal incident was followed by tragedy during the descent, when conditions at high altitude proved fatal.
Pakistan is home to some of the world’s highest and most challenging mountains, including K2, the second-highest peak on Earth, as well as Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II.
The country’s spectacular Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges draw mountaineers and adventure enthusiasts from around the world, while their extreme terrain and rapidly changing weather make climbing expeditions highly demanding.
