LAHORE: Major Ishaq, who embraced martyrdom in an operation against terrorists in Dera Ismail Khan the other day, was laid to rest at the Shauda graveyard in Cavalry Ground area of Lahore with full military honours on Thursday.
Funeral prayer of the martyr was offered at Ayub Stadium, Lahore Cantt. Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Corps Commander of Lahore Lieutenant-General Aamir Riaz, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, senior military and civil officials and other personalities attended the funeral prayer, besides a large number of people belonging to different segments of society.
The 28-year-old major’s mother briefly spoke with reporters. “He was the youngest of my three sons. He will come to me, I am sure. I have faith in Allah,” she said.
With tears rolling over her cheeks, she said, “He was a very good son, a Hafiz-e-Quran and he was granted Shahadat (martyrdom) by Allah.”
The 28-year-old martyr belonged to Khushab, Punjab, and has left behind a widow and an infant.
According to a handout issued here, the chief minister expressed condolence to the heirs of the martyred major and consoled them.
He also offered fateha for the martyr and also shouldered his coffin.
He paid rich tribute to the great sacrifice of Major Ishaq, and said that the persons sacrificing their precious lives for the defence of the country were the heroes of the nation and the Pakistani nation was proud of great sacrifices of its brave sons.
He said that Maj Ishaq had given his blood for the motherland and peace had been restored due to the great sacrifices of great sons of the nation like Major Ishaq.
The CM added that the sacrifices of brave sons of the nation would bear fruit and the Pakistani nation should never forget the immortal sacrifice of Maj Ishaq.
The martyred official is the fourth officer to be killed in the line of duty in the past three months.
On November 13, Captain Junaid Hafeez and Sepoy Raham were martyred in a cross-border attack by terrorists from Afghanistan in Bajaur Agency.
Four other troops were injured in the assault on the border post.
On Nov 9, sepoy Mohammad Ilyas was martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Khyber Agency. On October 3, another soldier had embraced martyrdom after terrorists fired from across the Afghan border on a post.
The incident had occurred at the recently cleared area around Mustil pass, an important passage from Afghanistan into Rajgal, in Khyber Agency. The martyred soldier was identified by ISPR as Naib Subedar Azher Ali.
On September 23, another officer embraced martyrdom during firing by terrorists from across the border in Rajgal, Khyber Agency.
Lieutenant Arsalan Alam, who was commanding the post when he got hit, was 22 years old.
On August 9, a major and three soldiers laid down their lives during a military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Major Ali Salman — who hailed from a ‘secret agency’ — was leading a team in an anti-terrorist operation in Timergara, Dir when a suicide bomber attacked them.
