Two PAF pilots martyred in training jet crash

RAWALPINDI:

Two pilots were martyred on Monday when a Pakistan Air Force Super Mushshak trainer aircraft on a routine training sortie crashed near Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Mardan, the military's media wing said.

According to the ISPR, the pilots have been identified as Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of the Pakistan Air Force, who was an instructor pilot, and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of the Pakistan Navy, who was a trainee officer.

ISPR said, "A board of inquiry has been constituted by Air Headquarters to ascertain the cause of accident."

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, along with the Services Chiefs and all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces, expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families, ISPR added.

President Asif Ali Zardari, in a post on X, expressed deep grief and sorrow over the crash and paid tribute to the martyred pilots. The president said the nation would always remember the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in the defence of the country.

He also expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the grieving families.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed deep sorrow over the crash, and he conveyed condolences over the deaths of two officers in the incident, in a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

He prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the deceased and said he stood in solidarity with the bereaved families. He further said the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces in defending the country remains "unparalleled."