ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Two military officers embraced martyrdom after a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft crashed near Mardan during a routine training mission on Monday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
According to the military’s media wing, the deceased were identified as Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of the PAF and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of the Pakistan Navy, who was also on board the aircraft at the time of the accident.
The ISPR stated that Air Headquarters has constituted a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with the services chiefs and all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces, expressed profound grief over the loss of the two officers and extended condolences to their bereaved families.
The incident comes just days after another military aviation tragedy. On June 10, a Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad during take-off due to a reported technical fault, resulting in the martyrdom of all personnel on board. A separate inquiry was ordered to establish the exact cause of that accident.
In September last year, five military personnel were martyred when an army helicopter crashed in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district following a technical malfunction.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed deep sorrow over the latest crash. In separate statements, both leaders paid tribute to Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi, praising their sacrifice in the service of the nation.
They prayed for the elevation of the martyrs’ ranks and strength for their families, while reaffirming that the courage, professionalism and dedication of Pakistan’s armed forces remain unmatched.
