Two pilots Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of Pakistan Navy on Monday embraced martyrdom, when a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) training aircraft crashed near Mardan. The military’s media wing said a board of inquiry has been constituted by Air Headquarters to ascertain the cause of accident.
“Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the services chiefs and all Ranks Pakistan Armed Forces express deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” the Inter Services Public Relations said.
The development takes place less than a week after a Pakistan Army Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad, leaving all on board martyred. The ISPR had said the helicopter went down due to a technical fault, and there were no survivors among those on board. The military had also said a board of inquiry had been constituted to determine the exact cause of the crash.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the crash of the training aircraft, paying rich tribute to the two pilots who embraced martyrdom. Paying tribute to the two pilots who embraced martyrdom in the line of duty today, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has expressed grief over the incident of the Pakistan Air Force training aircraft crash, which also left three other people injured. The interior minister extended his heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of the martyred pilots. He further offered prayers for the swift recovery of the three individuals injured in the accident.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu has expressed profound grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of the officers of the armed forces, who embraced shahadat during a routine training sortie, the PAF spokesperson said.