Woman climber dies during descent from Spantik

Woman climber dies during descent from Spantik. Jamal Shahid Published August 21, 2026 Updated August 21, 2026 07: 27am.

Key points

• Mushtaq, 34, successfully reached the 7, 027-metre summit of Spantik and was in good health at the time, the Alpine Club of Pakistan remarked in statements issued on Thursday.
• Nevertheless, she developed a serious high-altitude medical emergency at an elevation of concerning 6, 400 metres (21, 000 feet) during the descent.
• The Alpine Club of Pakistan, led by President Major General Irfan Arshad Khan paid tribute to her courage in undertaking the demanding expedition.
• Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, secretary-general of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, remarked Mushtaq was part of a five-member Pakistani women's expedition team that summited Spantik.
• ISLAMABAD: Mount­aineer Asma Mushtaq died after suffering a medical emergency while descending Spantik, one of Pakis­tan's prominent high-altitude peaks in the Kara­koram range in Gilgit-Baltistan.

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 the Alpine Club of Pakis­tan, remarked in a condolence statement.

According to her social media profiles, Mushtaq was originally from Lahore and worked as a UK-based doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Away from her medical profession, she was a passionate traveller, vlogger and mountaineer who actively documented her expeditions on social media. She completed a successful winter ascent of the 4, 076-metre Musa ka Musallah peak and was associated with expeditions to Rupal and Arandu.

In a 2024 post seeking K2 sponsorship, she described herself as "a doctor and mountaineer".

Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, secretary-general of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, 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.

Alpinist Shehroze Kashif, in a social media post, acknowledged the courage of the mountain guides who remained with her and did everything within their ability to assist her.

For context, the company's post, shared by the alpinist, sta­ted it was coordinating with relevant authorities and Mushtaq's family regarding the necessary next steps.

For context, the Alpine Club of Pakistan, led by President Major General Irfan Arshad Khan paid tribute to her courage in undertaking the demanding expedition. The club described her death as a profound loss for her family and the mountaineering community, praying for eternal peace for the deceased and strength for her family to bear the irreparable loss. Jamil Nagri in Gilgit additionally contributed to this report.

Jamal Shahid is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with over two decades of experience. As well as diplomatic events, climate change, and human rights problems in the capital, he covers the Public Accounts Committee and the National Assembly's Question Hour.

Taken together, the developments around woman climber dies during descent from Spantik point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.