Pakistan first

Missing climbers Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Iceland's John Snorri Sigurjónsson and Chile's Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto have officially been declared dead in a press conference attended by the families of the climbers in Skardu. Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan and Ali Sadpara's son, Sajid Sadpara, were also present at the briefing. The three climbers were last seen on Feb 5 near the Bottleneck on K2 as they attempted to reach the summit of the Savage Mountain. Sajid Sadpara, who was accompanying the three, had to abandon his summit bid after his oxygen regulator malfunctioned and he returned to camp 3.

Search efforts for mountaineers Muhammad Ali Sadpara, John Snorri and John Pablo Mohr are expected to resume today, after slight improvement in Skardu's weather. A special forward looking infrared (FLIR) mission by a C-130 aircraft along with four high-altitude porters (HAPs) from Sadpara village will be used in the operation. Bad weather in the area over the past four days thwarted attempts for an on-ground and aerial search for the three mountaineers who were last seen near the Bottleneck on K2 on February 5. "FLIR will be used for the search mission. High altitude climbers are also engaged for ground search as a result of any location spotted through FLIR mission. All efforts are geared up for search of national hero Ali Sadpara and his brave team including John Snorri of Iceland and JP Mohr," a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

The families of missing climbers Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Jon Snorri and Juan Pablo Mohr said on Tuesday they have made the difficult decision to proceed with their rescue mission after "72 grueling hours of non-stop intensive efforts" that were halted the day before due to bad weather. Hopes for the survival of the three climbers are waning as heavy clouds continue to obscure K2. The dimming hope is particularly poignant as Tuesday marks the Chilean climber Mohr's 34th birthday. The three lost contact with base camp late on Friday and were reported missing on Saturday, after their support team stopped receiving communications from them during their ascent of the world's second-highest mountain. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) official, the search and rescue mission for the three climbers will continue today once the weather improves and all resources at the disposal of the military have been mobilised.