Pilots of PK-661 laid to rest

COAS attends funeral of co-pilot Aly Akram

RAWALPINDI: Two pilots on the ill-fated PK-661, which had crashed into the hillside in Havelian last week killing all 47 people on board, were laid to rest on Thursday in Rawalpindi.

Aly Akram, who was the co-pilot of the plane, was laid to rest at the Army graveyard on Thursday.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lieutenant General Zafar Iqbal, former test cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq, and hundreds of other people attended the funeral.



First officer Akram lived in the New Lalazar area and was inducted in PIA as a pilot in 2000-01. The 40-year-old had obtained a pilot’s license from Rawalpindi Flying Club.

Akram was fond of cricket and played for the Islamabad Club team. He had been married for eight years but had no children.

His father, Lt Col (retd) Ejaz Akram was a Special Services Group officer and had also served with army aviation. His grandfather Muhammad Akram was also a solider.

Akram also had a sister and a brother. His older brother Raza Akram works for a cellular company.

Muhammad Salman, a close friend of Akram’s, told The Express Tribune that Akram was an extrovert, while adding that they were scheduled to play cricket on Saturday. Salman said the match was cancelled after news of his death broke.

Salman said that according to Akram’s family, he called his brother Raza before he boarded the plane. He suggested that his brother visit Chitral as the weather was quite pleasant. The brothers were planning to drop by their sister’s house after Akram landed in Islamabad.



Separately, trainee pilot Janjua was buried at the Pakistan Air Force graveyard.

Hundreds of people and high ranking officers of PAF attended the funeral prayers.

The 24-year-old Janjua had been inducted into PIA just two years ago. Even though he hailed from Kahuta, he lived with his family in Westridge, Rawalpindi. His father was also an employee of PIA.

Captain Saleh Janjua was the pilot of the plane.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2016.