In 1977 Sabir joined the largest Japan/Pakistan joint expedition to K2, attempting the traditional South East Abruzzi Ridge. It was a huge expedition, using bottled oxygen; this team had an army of 1500 porters and 52 members. However Sabir's first assault team including four Japanese had to turn back due to snow storms from 8280m. Another attempt with the same team had to be abandoned again from 8150m when they had to come down searching for two missing colleagues who were found alive below Camp 4 the next day. However they put seven members of the team on the summit making the second ascent of K3. Till then only two mountaineers of the 1954 successful Italian expedition had stepped on the K2 Summit.