Army chief pays rich tribute to ‘soldier of Pakistan’ Siraj Raisani

'We have lost a diehard brave patriot who shall be remembered for his commitment and contributions for Pakistan'

Paying rich tribute to Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Siraj Raisani, who among 130 others was martyred in a suicide attack in Mastung yesterday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed said on Saturday the ‘Soldier of Pakistan’ will never be forgotten.

At least 20 are reported to be in critical condition among over 130 others who fell victim to Friday's deadly attack. Raisani was a candidate from PB-35 (Mastung) and his elder brother Nawab Aslam Raisani had served as the province’s chief minister from 2008 to 2013.

“We have lost a diehard brave patriot Pakistani who shall be remembered for his commitment and contributions for Pakistan,” he was quoted by DG ISPR Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor as saying on Twitter.



The army chief attended funeral prayer of Siraj Raisani, met his family and visited Civil Medical Hospital in Quetta to meet injured of Mastung blast. He expressed his deepest empathy with all bereaved families of the deadly terrorist attack in Mastung.

COAS visited Quetta. Attended funeral prayer of Shaheed Siraj Raisani, met family & visited injured at CMH. Expressed his deepest empathy with all bereaved families of the Mastung blast incident. “We haven’t yet reached destination of complete peace but near its achievement”COAS. pic.twitter.com/k172haW0GV

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) July 14, 2018

The COAS also acknowledged sacrifices of three generations of Siraj Raisani’s family while meeting them.

Speaking on the occasion, Gen Qamar said that, “Our journey to peace hasn’t yet reached the desired destination of complete peace but we are successfully nearing its achievement. We as a nation have stood up to the challenges of terrorism and extremism and shall defeat all inimical forces undeterred.”

“We have lost a die hard brave patriot Pakistani who shall be remembered for his commitment and contributions for Pakistan. We as a nation have stood up to the challenges of terrorism & extremism and shall defeat all inimical forces undeterred”, COAS. pic.twitter.com/FZrWDlubJI

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) July 14, 2018

Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa was also present on the occasion.