LAHORE: Pakistan Army’s martyred Major Ishaq was laid to rest with full military honours at the martyrs’ graveyard at the Cavalry Ground Thursday, Geo News reported. He embraced martyrdom in an exchange of fire during a search operation at a terrorist hideout in Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan Wednesday. The 28-year-old martyr belonged to Khushab, Punjab, and has left behind a widow and an infant. Earlier Thursday, funeral prayers were offered for Major Ishaq at the Ayub Stadium in Lahore. The funeral prayers were attended by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Corps Commander Lahore Lt Gen Amir Riaz and Railways Minister Saad Rafique. Major Ishaq’s mother briefly spoke with reporters, saying he was the youngest of her three sons. “He will come to me, I am sure. I have faith in Allah”. With tears in her eyes, she added: “He is a very good son, a Hafiz-e-Quran and he was granted (martyrdom) by Allah”. Funeral prayers of the deceased were also held in Dera Ismail Khan and attended by COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, other high-ranking officials, including Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Nazir Butt. In his tweet, the ISPR chief said, “we have a sacred duty at hand of cleansing & defending our motherland; we shall do it”. In a follow-on tweet, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor reiterated that sacrifices by the martyrs of the motherland will not go in vain or will be compromised upon. The martyred official is the fourth officer who laid down his life 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 at the border post. On November 9, sepoy Muhammad 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 at 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 Azhar 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-year-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. Lahore correspondent adds: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif paid rich tribute to the great sacrifice of martyred Maj Ishaq and said those sacrificing their lives for country’s defence are the heroes of the nation and the Pakistani nation is proud of great sacrifices of its brave sons. The chief minister expressed condolence to the heirs and consoled them. He also offered ‘Fateha’ for the martyred Maj Ishaq and also shouldered the coffin.
