Body of Mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq Airlifted to Skardu

The body of Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq has been flown from Spantik Base Camp to Skardu following a challenging recovery operation, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said on Monday. Dr Asma died on August 20 after experiencing a severe medical emergency at high altitude while descending from 7,027-metre Spantik Mountain in the Karakoram range. In a post on X, Tarar said the recovery team had successfully brought her remains down from the mountain and transported them by air to Skardu. He added that the body would be flown to Lahore on the earliest available flight, provided weather conditions remained suitable. The minister appreciated the Frontier Corps Northern Areas (FCNA), the Arandu Volunteer Rescue Team and others who took part in the recovery effort. The Arandu Volunteer Rescue Team had transported Mushtaq's body to Spantik Peak Base Camp. The operation faced repeated delays because of severe weather and difficult conditions at high altitude. An earlier attempt was halted when heavy snowfall and strong winds forced rescuers to retreat while making their way towards Camp 3. After conditions improved, the team resumed the mission from base camp and proceeded towards Camp 2 as part of the effort to recover the climber's body.