The body of Pakistani climber Dr Asma Mushtaq, who died on August 20 after suffering a serious high-altitude medical emergency while descending from the 7,027-metre-high Spantik Mountain in the Karakoram range, has been recovered, Deputy Commissioner Shigar Sher Afzal announced on Monday.

In a statement, the deputy commissioner said that local mountaineers during a search operation recovered the body and began transporting it towards the base camp, adding that the team members carrying the body had reached Camp II.

Meanwhile, a fresh spell of snowfall has been continuing at the higher altitudes since evening, according to the deputy commissioner, who said the team is expected to reach the base camp tomorrow if snowfall does not cause further disruption.

Hours earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the search and rescue team looking for the body of the Pakistani climber located her remains beyond Camp III on Gilgit-Baltistan's Spantik peak. According to the update issued by the minister, the team was assessing site conditions and finalising arrangements for safe recovery and controlled evacuation to the base camp, taking into account the high-altitude terrain and associated risks.

The Pakistani climber died on August 20 after suffering a serious high-altitude medical emergency while descending from the 7,027-metre-high Spantik Mountain in the Karakoram range, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. The recovery operation had been a prolonged and difficult mission due to harsh weather conditions at high altitude.