Mission to retrieve Pakistani climber Asma Mushtaq's body from Spatnik resumes

Mission to retrieve Pakistani climber Asma Mushtaq's body from Spatnik resumes.

Key points

• News Desk Published August 25, 2026 Updated August 25, 2026 11: 58am.
• Nevertheless, she developed a serious high-altitude medical emergency at an elevation of concerning 6, 400 metres (21, 000 feet) during the descent.
• A rescue team resumed its trek at Spantik on Tuesday to recover the body of Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq.
• Shigri had informed Dawn that Pakistan Army helicopters were anticipated to airlift Mushtaq's body to Skardu after its arrival at the base camp.
• During her ascent, Mushtaq had successfully reached the 7, 027-metre summit of Spantik and was in good health at the time, ACP remarked in statements issued on Thursday.

News Desk Published August 25, 2026 Updated August 25, 2026 11: 58am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Notably, a rescue team resumed its trek at Spantik on Tuesday to recover the body of Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq. This person died while descending the 7, 027m peak in Gilgit-Baltistan's Shigar district.

While descending from the mountain additionally known as Golden Peak, after suffering from high-altitude sickness, the 34-year-old died at an altitude of around 6, 250 metres on Aug 20. Her body remains at Camp 3.

Efforts to retrieve her body were earlier disrupted due to severe weather.

After which rescuers would create another attempt to bring Mushtaq's body down to the base camp, alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) General Secretary Ayaz Shigri informed Dawn on Monday that weather conditions were anticipated to improve on Tuesday.

Subsequently, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X that the rescue team had resumed its operation after weather conditions improved.

"The rescue team has once again departed from the base camp and is now heading towards Camp 2. The team is moving carefully and will continue the operation as conditions permit. We pray for their safety and success, " he remarked.

High-altitude sickness encompasses a range of pulmonary and cerebral conditions caused by hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, due to rapid ascent and inadequate acclimatisation to high altitudes.

Her mountain guide, Akbar Ali, and expedition guide, Muhammad Amin, immediately came to her assistance.

"Despite the immediate and dedicated efforts of her mountain guides, who provided every possible ass­I­s­tance under extre­mely challenging conditions, she could not survive, " Karrar Haidri, a senior vice president for ACP, remarked in a condolence statement.

Shigri remarked Mushtaq was part of a five-member Pakistani women's expedition team that summited Spantik. It included climbers Zoni Aslam, Zaba Shigri, Shama and Sohana.

In short, mission to retrieve Pakistani climber Asma Mushtaq' s body from Spatnik resumes is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.