PAF trainer aircraft crash near Mardan claims two pilots

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft crashed during a routine training sortie near Mardan on Monday, resulting in the martyrdom of both pilots on board, the military’s media wing said.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the martyred officers were identified as Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of the Pakistan Air Force and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of the Pakistan Navy.

The ISPR said Air Headquarters has constituted a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the accident.

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 deep grief over the loss of the two officers and extended condolences to their bereaved families.

The crash comes five days after another military aviation accident.

On June 10, an Mi-17 helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad due to a technical fault during take-off. The ISPR had said all personnel on board embraced martyrdom, with no survivors, and a board of inquiry was ordered to investigate the incident.

Last year, in September, five military personnel were martyred when an army helicopter crashed in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district due to a technical fault.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed deep sorrow over Monday’s crash.

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In separate statements, President Zardari paid tribute to Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi, praying for the elevation of their ranks and strength for their families.

He said the nation would always remember the sacrifices of its brave sons who laid down their lives in defence of the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also offered condolences to the families of the two martyred officers and prayed for the departed souls.

The prime minister said the professionalism and dedication of Pakistan’s armed forces in defending the country remained unparalleled and expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.