2 army pilots martyred in Quetta crash

RAWALPINDI:

Two Pakistan Army pilots were martyred on Monday when a Mushshak training aircraft crashed near Nawan Killi in Quetta due to a technical fault, the military's media wing said.

"Both pilots, Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun (Instructor Pilot) and Captain Abdul Samad (Student Pilot) embraced Shahadat in the unfortunate crash," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

It said that the aircraft crashed around midday on 12 October.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the martyrdom of the pilots. In separate statements, the president and the prime minister extended their heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for the elevation of the martyrs' ranks.

The president, in his statement, expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the martyrs.

Shehbaz said the country's brave sons who sacrificed their lives for Pakistan were a source of pride for the nation. He added that the entire nation held their sacrifices in high regard and shared the grief of their families.

The prime minister prayed that Almighty grant the martyrs a place in His mercy and give their families the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

On June 10, a Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad during take-off due to a technical fault, martyring all personnel on board. The military's media wing said a board of inquiry had been ordered to determine the exact cause of the accident.

On September 2, 2025, an Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter also crashed near Hudor village in Gilgit-Baltistan during a routine training flight after developing a technical fault; five crew members, including two pilots, were martyred, the ISPR said.