February 23, 2003	Sunday	Zul Hijjah 21, 1423

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LAHORE, Feb 22: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir and his wife Bilqis, who were killed along with 15 others when their plane crashed near Kohat on Thursday morning, were laid to rest here at the Mominpura graveyard on Saturday with full military honours.

A 40-rifle salute was presented by a contingent of the Pakistan Air Force at the small graveyard situated on the congested McLeod Road which was crowded with relatives of the Mir family and senior officers of the three forces.

The late air chief’s sons, Nabeel and Maseel, his brother Dilband Mir and Mrs Bilquis Mir’s brother, Maj-Gen Husain Mehdi, led the mourners.

The coffins were draped in the Pakistan flag and covered with floral wreaths.

Military officers belonging to the three forces saluted as the coffin of Air Chief Marshal Mir was lowered into the grave.

Jawans of the Pakistan Rangers provided a security cover in and around the graveyard and allowed people in after thorough checking. Soldiers also kept watch from nearby buildings.

Lt-Gen Zarrar Azim laid a wreath on the graves on behalf of President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Air Marshal Syed Qaiser Hussain on behalf of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali during the formal wreath-laying ceremony.

Commander North Muhammad Akram laid a wreath on behalf of Naval Chief Admiral Shahid Karimullah and Sardar Shaukat Husain Mazari on behalf of the Punjab Assembly. Earlier, a large number of people including senior serving and retired military officers, civil servants and parliamentarians attended the funeral prayers at the huge PAF Stadium on Tufail Road.

Prominent among those at the prayers were Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Punjab Assembly Speaker Afzal Sahi, Balochistan Governor Lt-Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch and Chief Minister Jam Mir Muhammad Yousaf, acting PAF chief Syed Qaiser Hussain and Chief of the Naval Staff Shahid Karimullah. Many of them were also present at the burial. Military officers and jawans gave a salute after the funeral prayers.

The bodies, which were kept at the Combined Military Hospital for the night, were first taken to Ranger House, the official residence of Maj-Gen Hussain Mehdi, and then to the Gulberg residence of Air Chief Marshal Mir’s brother.

At both these places a large number of people gathered to offer their condolences to the family. Qul will be held at the Rangers House on The Upper Mall at 3pm on Sunday.