A Pakistan Air Force trainer aircraft crashed during a routine training mission near Mardan on Monday, claiming the lives of both pilots on board, the military’s media wing confirmed. The incident marks the second fatal military aviation accident in less than a week.The Inter-Services Public Relations identified the martyred officers as Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of the Pakistan Air Force and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of the Pakistan Navy. Air Headquarters has immediately constituted a board of inquiry to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Nation’s Leadership Offers Condolences
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with all services chiefs and ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces, expressed profound grief over the tragic loss. They extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also issued separate statements honoring the fallen pilots. President Zardari paid tribute to the two officers, stating the nation would always remember the sacrifices of its brave sons who laid down their lives in defence of the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz noted that the professionalism and dedication of Pakistan’s armed forces in defending the country were unparalleled, and he prayed for the departed souls.
Second Crash in Five Days
>The tragedy follows a separate fatal accident on June 10, when an Mi-17 helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad due to a technical fault during takeoff. The ISPR confirmed there were no survivors in that incident, and a similar board of inquiry was ordered to investigate the technical cause.
Last September, a similar tragedy struck when an army helicopter went down in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district, also attributed to a technical fault, resulting in the martyrdom of five personnel.
