GILGIT(National Times)- Renowned Pakistani female climber Dr Asma Mushtaq was laid to rest in Lahore on Tuesday, 20 days after she died on Spantik Peak in Shigar district of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

The funeral prayer for Dr Asma Mushtaq, daughter of Mushtaq Ahmed, was offered after Maghrib prayers.

A large number of people from different walks of life attended the funeral prayer and prayed for the deceased’s forgiveness and eternal peace. She was laid to rest in the presence of a large gathering of mourners.

Earlier, her body was transported to Lahore on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Skardu on Tuesday after being airlifted from the Spantik Peak base camp on Monday.

Baltistan Division Commissioner Kamal Khan told Dawn that arrangements for transporting the body had been made after it was airlifted from the mountain. The body had been kept at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Skardu before being transported to Lahore.

The body was dispatched from Skardu on a PIA flight at 12pm and was handed over to her family members at Lahore airport for burial.

The 34-year-old climber died on Aug 20, apparently from high-altitude sickness, while descending after successfully summiting the 7,027-metre Spantik Peak.

Her body was finally airlifted from the mountain and shifted to Skardu after weather conditions improved on Monday.

Gratitude to armed forces

In a statement, GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan expressed his gratitude to the Pakistan Armed Forces, local volunteers from Shigar, rescue teams and the district administration for their efforts in transferring the body of Dr Asma Mushtaq from the Spantik Peak base camp to Skardu.

The chief minister said all institutions and individuals who participated in the extremely challenging rescue operation deserved appreciation.