Daily Times

Pakistan Army helicopters on Saturday returned to Skardu unsuccessful after conducting a search operation to trace missing mountaineer Ali Sadpara and two other team members who are on an expedition to conquer K2 during the winter, a private TV channel reported.

The helicopters reportedly flew to a height of 7,000 metres in their attempt to locate the missing mountaineers but were unable to find any clues to their whereabouts. They had to return due to worsening weather and light conditions.

It had been reported a day earlier that Sadpara and his team had successfully summited the 8,611-metre K2 – the world’s second highest mountain – late on Friday, a month after their first attempt failed. However, their support teams have since then cautioned that the climbers’ status is still unclear and there has been no communication from their end.

Waqas Johar, Assistant Commissioner Shigar, Gilgit-Baltistan, confirmed that there has been no success in finding the missing mountaineers so far and that weather conditions are ‘not good’ at K2. He said that Ali’s son, Sajid Sadpara, who had been waiting at Camp 2, has reached Camp 1.

Ali Sadpara, John Snorri from Iceland and Juan Pablo from Chile had departed for their journey a day after Sadpara’s birthday in the wee hours of Wednesday, asking fans and admirers to “keep us in your prayers”. They had started their attempt for the final summit in the early hours of Friday, hoping to accomplish the herculean feat by Friday afternoon. However, it has now been several hours since anyone last heard from Sadpara and the team.

President Dr Arif Alvi has prayed for the safety of renowned mountaineer Ali Sadpara and his co-climbers. “I hope Ali Sadpara and his co-climbers are alive and fine,” the president remarked on Twitter calling them ‘very brave mountaineers’.