ISLAMABAD: Two pilots were martyred after a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crashed near the north-western district of Mardan during a routine training mission on Monday, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The aircraft was undertaking a routine training sortie when it went down in the vicinity of Mardan. Both occupants — PAF instructor pilot Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah and Pakistan Navy trainee officer Lieutenant Taha Abbasi — embraced martyrdom in the line of duty.
The military’s media wing said Air Headquarters has constituted a board of inquiry to determine the circumstances and cause of the crash.
In separate messages, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with the services chiefs and all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces, expressed profound sorrow over the loss of the two officers.
They conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the martyrs in service to the nation. Further details regarding the incident are awaited as investigations continue.
