Naltar tragedy: Major Faisal laid to rest in Swabi
By
Our Correspondents
Published: May 14, 2015
Major Faisal leaves behind a widow and a nine-month-old daughter. PHOTO COURTESY: MAJOR FAISAL’S FAMILY
PESHAWAR / SWABI:
Major Faisal who perished in the tragic helicopter crash in Naltar Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan last week was laid to rest in his hometown Mohalla Rana Garhi in Chota Lahor, Swabi Thursday afternoon. He was 32 years old.
Peshawar Corps Commander Hidayatur Rehman, Brigadier Khalid, other military and police officials, Senator Liaqat Ali Khan Tarakai, MPA Muhammad Ali Tarakai, JUI-F Swabi chief Attaul Haq Darwish, MPA Abdul Karim, other political leaders and activists from across Swabi as well as district administration officials participated in his funeral.Prayers were offered at 2pm and he was then laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard.
Major Faisal joined the army in 2003 and later joined the aviation wing in 2011. He was promoted to the rank of major in 2013.
He was the younger brother of National Accountability Bureau Deputy Director Nadeem Khan and leaves behind a widow and a nine-month-old daughter.
“The burial was delayed due to the DNA test. Since all bodies retrieved from the chopper were badly burnt, it was necessary to establish their identities via DNA tests,” a relative told
The Express Tribune.
On May 8, a Pakistan Army MI-17 helicopter crashed in Naltar Valley, killing eight people. The deceased included two pilots, a crew member and foreign dignitaries and their wives.
The foreign office denied any foul play in the incident, saying the crash occurred because of a technical fault in the engine.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2015.