Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq lost her life during her descent from Spantik, a 7,027-metre peak located in the Karakoram range of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Mushtaq, 34, reached the summit of Spantik and maintained physical stability at the top, according to official statements from the Alpine Club of Pakistan issued on Thursday.
A medical emergency occurred at an altitude of approximately 6,400 metres (21,000 feet) as she made her way down the mountain. High-altitude sickness includes pulmonary and cerebral conditions that result from hypoxia, which occurs when rapid ascent and insufficient acclimatisation reduce oxygen supply to the body.
Mountain guide Akbar Ali and expedition guide Muhammad Amin reached her position to provide support during the crisis.
Alpine Club of Pakistan Senior Vice President Karrar Haidri released a condolence statement regarding the event. “Despite the immediate and dedicated efforts of her mountain guides, who provided every possible assistance under extremely challenging conditions, she could not survive,” Haidri stated.
Mushtaq worked as a UK-based doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynaecology, having moved from Lahore. Beyond her medical career, she operated as a traveler, vlogger, and mountaineer who recorded her climbs on personal social media channels.
Her previous mountain achievements included a winter summit of the 4,076-metre Musa ka Musallah peak alongside involvement in expeditions to Rupal and Arandu.
She outlined her career background in a 2024 social media appeal for K2 sponsorship. “A doctor and mountaineer,” Mushtaq wrote in the post.
Alpine Club of Pakistan Secretary-General Ayaz Ahmed Shigri confirmed that Mushtaq belonged to a five-member team of Pakistani women climbers who reached the top of Spantik. The remaining team members included Zoni Aslam, Zaba Shigri, Shama, and Sohana.
Alpinist Shehroze Kashif addressed the situation through a public statement online, noting that the helpful actions of the guides who stayed at the scene to offer assistance. Kashif re-shared updates from the expedition management company, which confirmed active coordination with local administration officials and family members regarding recovery procedures.
Alpine Club of Pakistan President Major General Irfan Arshad Khan and club representatives issued official tributes acknowledging her effort on the mountain, identifying her death as a loss for her family and the regional climbing community.
