By Our Correspondent
GILGIT: The family of Dr Asma Mushtaq has appealed to the authorities and rescue agencies for urgent action to recover her body, which they say remains stranded at an altitude of around 6,400 metres following a mountaineering expedition.
Dr Asma Mushtaq was not only a young mountaineer but also a talented doctor and gold medalist who had travelled extensively and used her adventures to showcase Pakistan’s spectacular valleys and mountains.
According to her family, Dr Asma was descending after summiting Spantik Peak when her health deteriorated. They allege that her companions descended while she remained at around 6,400 metres with a porter. The porter later came down and informed them that Dr Asma had died and that her body remained at the high-altitude camp.
The circumstances have raised serious questions about the responsibilities of expedition operators in emergencies. The family has specifically questioned the role of Karakoram Calling Trek, asking whether an operator’s responsibility ends once a climber reaches the summit or whether it also includes emergency assistance, rescue and safe return.
The family further claims that they have been asked to pay around Rs3 million to bring Dr Asma’s body down from the mountain. These claims, including the circumstances surrounding her death, the actions of the expedition team and the reported recovery cost, require independent verification and a response from the company and relevant authorities.
The case has also highlighted broader concerns about safety standards, emergency planning and accountability in commercial high-altitude expeditions. Companies taking paying clients into extreme mountain environments should have clearly defined rescue procedures and responsibilities for emergencies.
Dr Asma’s family has urged state institutions, rescue agencies, the expedition operator and other relevant authorities to coordinate immediately and make every possible effort to recover her body and return it to her parents.
Bringing a daughter home to her grieving family should be treated first and foremost as a humanitarian responsibility. The practice of leaving a climber behind in distress must never be allowed to become an accepted norm on Pakistan’s mountains.
