GILGIT: Snowfall at the Spantik peak on Sunday halted efforts to retrieve the body of Pakistani climber Dr Asma Mushtaq, who died while descending the 7,027m peak in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Shigar district.

The 34-year-old died at an altitude above 6,000 metres while descending from the summit of Spantik on Thursday. Her body is currently at Camp 3.

Baltistan Division Commissioner Kamal Khan had told Dawn that the tour operator had violated mountaineering rules by not arranging for the recovery team to retrieve Dr Mushtaq’s body from Spantik Peak and for helicopters to airlift the body from base camp to Skardu.

The commissioner said the tour operator was responsible for arranging ground or helicopter rescue and insurance, but had failed to conduct the mandatory briefing and debriefing under the Mountaineering Rules 1999.

The commissioner said that the rescue team of six high-altitude porters had reached Camp 2 and had attempted to start their mission towards Camp 3, but were forced to retreat back to Base Camp due to heavy rain and snow.

“Due to continuous heavy snowfall and extremely strong winds, conditions have become very dangerous and risky,” he said. “The rescue team could not safely remain at Camp 2, therefore, the entire rescue team had to turn back.”

“The mission is being undertaken under extremely challenging high-altitude and weather conditions, and the safety of the recovery team remains a priority,” he said.

In a statement on Saturday, Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) General Secretary Ayaz Shigri said that Dr Mushtaq’s body remains at approximately 6,400m.

He noted that the recovery operation, consisting of climbers from different teams, was being coordinated by Dr Mushtaq’s own expedition company, in coordination with institutions including the tourism department, local government and ACP.

“It was earlier reported that Dr Asma suffered from high-altitude sickness after summiting,” the press statement said. “The circumstances surrounding her death, as well as the conduct and response of the expedition company, will be fully investigated once the teams are safely down and her body has been recovered.”

Any necessary action would follow the findings of that investigation, it added.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2026