K2 expedition: Pakistan assures Chile of all possible efforts to trace missing mountaineers

• Chilean FM thanks Pakistan on behalf of the people of Chile and the family of Juan Pablo Mohr for assistance in the search operations.
• FM Qureshi assured Chile that Pakistan would make all possible efforts to trace the missing heroes.
• The Alpine Club of Pakistan has said that all foreign climbers have decided to end the K2 winter expeditions.

ISLAMABAD: Amid the hectic efforts to locate the missing mountaineers, Pakistan has assured the Chilean government that it would make all possible efforts to trace the missing heroes.

The assurance was given by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday during his telephonic conversation with Chilean counterpart Andrés Allamand regarding the missing Chilean mountaineer Juan Pablo Mohr who was on the K-2 winter expedition along with Pakistan’s Ali Sadpara and Iceland’s Jon Snorri.

The foreign minister expressed his deep concern over the missing team of mountaineers and apprised the Chilean foreign minister of efforts being made by Pakistan to locate them, including a number of search flights by Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters amid challenging weather conditions over a treacherous terrain.

Read more: 'My father Ali Sadpara is a survivor'

Qureshi assured the foreign minister of Chile that Pakistan would make all possible efforts to trace the missing heroes.

Acknowledging the search and rescue operation, Andrés Allamand thanked the Pakistani government on behalf of the people of Chile and the family of Juan Pablo Mohr for assistance in the search operations.

During the call, the two foreign ministers also discussed bilateral relations and agreed to remain engaged in future both on bilateral and multilateral fora.

The search operation to trace the missing mountaineers is hampered due to harsh weather condition with their chances of survival diminishing each passing day.

Read more: After 72 hours, K2 search for missing mountaineers continues as weather gets harsher

The three-member expedition team went missing last week when they were descending from the peak.

K2 winter expeditions ended

The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) on Tuesday said that all foreign climbers have decided to end the K2 winter expeditions.

According to ACP Secretary Karar Haideri all foreign climbers at the K2 base camp have decided to end the K2 Winter Expeditions 2020/21 considering the harsh weather conditions.