PAF Trainer Aircraft Crash Near Mardan Claims Lives of Two Pilots

A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft crashed near Mardan on Monday during a routine training mission, resulting in the martyrdom of two military pilots, Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of the PAF and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of the Pakistan Navy. Air Headquarters has initiated a board of inquiry to investigate the cause of the accident. This incident follows another military aviation accident on June 10, where a Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad due to a technical fault, killing all personnel on board. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the military leadership, expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the bereaved families, paying tribute to the officers' service and sacrifice.