Pakistani doctor-mountaineer Asma Mushtaq dies during descent from Spantik peak

Pakistani doctor and mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq, 34, has died after developing a critical high-altitude medical emergency while descending from the summit of Spantik, one of Pakistan’s prominent high-altitude peaks.Mushtaq had successfully reached the 7,027-metre summit and was reportedly in good health at the time. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said she later suffered a serious medical emergency at approximately 6,400 metres, or around 21,000 feet, during the descent.Her mountain guide, Akbar Ali, and expedition guide Muhammad Amin immediately moved to assist her. Despite their efforts and the extremely difficult conditions at altitude, Mushtaq could not be saved.“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, said in a condolence statement.Mushtaq was part of Pakistani women’s expeditionAccording to Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, secretary-general of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Mushtaq was among five Pakistani women who reached the summit of Spantik during the expedition.Extremely Tragic Incident on #Spantik Pakistani Mountaineer Asma Mushtaq Dies During DescentAugust 20, 2026A tragic incident has occurred on Spantik Peak (7,027 meters) in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range where Pakistani female mountaineer Asma Mushtaq lost her life… pic.twitter.com/F4AwD9U3Xq— Broad Peak (@GashabrumII) August 20, 2026 EXCLUSIVE | In a deeply emotional video Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq is seen remembering her brother Qaisar in what is being described as one of her final videos before her tragic death on Spantikvideo has since gone viral leaving a poignant final glimpse of climber… pic.twitter.com/8TVlB9LRhS— Hasnain Qaisrani (@QaisraniHasnain) August 21, 2026 The team also included Zoni Aslam, Zaba Shigri, Shama and Sohana. Their successful ascent marked a notable achievement for Pakistani women in mountaineering, with Spantik presenting demanding technical, physical and high-altitude challenges.The 7,027-metre peak, also known as Golden Peak, is located in the Nagar District of Gilgit-Baltistan and is considered one of Pakistan’s major mountaineering destinations.High-altitude emergency struck during descentHigh-altitude illness can become life-threatening when the body is unable to adequately adapt to reduced oxygen levels. Conditions associated with severe altitude sickness include high-altitude pulmonary edema and high-altitude cerebral edema.The risk increases at extreme elevations, particularly when climbers ascend rapidly or have insufficient time to acclimatise. At elevations above 6,000 metres, environmental conditions can also make rescue operations exceptionally difficult.Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq has died while descending Spantik (7,027 m), also known as Golden Peak, in Pakistan’s Karakoram on 20 August.According to a statement from Karakoram Calling, Asma successfully reached the summit in good health alongside her mountain guide,… pic.twitter.com/X5tfMTfLCf— Everest Today (@EverestToday) August 20, 2026 In Mushtaq’s case, the emergency occurred after she had already completed the demanding climb to Spantik’s summit.A doctor, traveller and passionate mountaineerOriginally from Lahore, Mushtaq was a UK-based medical doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. Outside her professional career, she developed a strong interest in adventure travel, mountaineering and documenting her journeys.Her social media accounts showed her participating in climbing expeditions and sharing experiences from the mountains. She had also completed a winter ascent of Musa ka Musallah, a 4,076-metre peak, and had been associated with expeditions in Rupal and Arandu.In a 2024 social media post seeking sponsorship for a K2 expedition, she described herself as “a doctor and mountaineer”.Her combination of medicine and high-altitude adventure had made her an inspirational figure among people following Pakistan’s growing mountaineering community.A local team has been dispatched to bring down the body of Pakistani female climber Dr Asma Mushtaq from Spantik Peak, she lost her life above 6,000 meters altitude while descending from summit of 70,27 meters Peak on Thursday pic.twitter.com/CLRnl8LK8w— Jamil Nagri (@jamilnagri) August 21, 2026 Shehroze Kashif pays tribute to guidesAlpinist Shehroze Kashif also expressed appreciation for the guides who stayed with Mushtaq during the emergency.He highlighted their courage and efforts to assist her despite the hazardous conditions at high altitude. The expedition company, in a statement shared by Kashif, said it was working with the relevant authorities and Mushtaq’s family to manage the necessary arrangements following her death.The incident has once again underscored the severe risks faced by climbers operating at extreme elevations, where even a successful summit can be followed by a dangerous descent.Alpine club of Pakistan mourns her deathThe Alpine Club of Pakistan, led by President Major General Irfan Arshad Khan, paid tribute to Mushtaq and recognised her determination to undertake a demanding Himalayan expedition.The organisation described her death as a profound loss to her family and the wider mountaineering community. It also offered prayers for her and strength for her family as they cope with the tragedy.

ASMA Mushtaq 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. Mushtaq, 34, successfully reached the 7,027-metre summit of Spantik and was in good health at the time, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said in statements issued on Thursday. However, she developed a serious high-altitude medical emergency at an elevation of about 6,400 metres (21,000 feet) during the descent. 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, said 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, said Mushtaq was part of a five-member Pakistani women’s expedition team that summited Spantik, which 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. The company’s post, shared by the alpinist, sta­ted it was coordinating with relevant authorities and Mushtaq’s family regarding the necessary next steps. 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 also contributed to this report Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2026