LAHORE: Major Muhammad Ishaq, who had embraced martyrdom in a gun-battle with militants in Dera Ismail Khan, was laid to rest with full military honours at the Qabarastan-e-Shuhada at Cavalry Ground here on Thursday.

His funeral prayers were offered at Ayub Stadium where Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Lahore Corps Commander Lt-Gen Amer Riaz and a large number of relatives and friends of the family participated.

Maj Ishaq, 28, embraced martyrdom in an exchange of fire with militants during a search operation in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday.

He belonged to Khushab and was the youngest of six siblings. Later, his family got settled in a Lahore locality. He is survived by a wife and one-year-old daughter.

Maj Ishaq’s mother told reporters that he was the youngest of her three sons and was Hafiz-i-Quran. She said she was sure that his son would come back to her.

Earlier, his namaz-e-janaza was also offered in Dera Ismail Khan where it was also attended by Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Nazir Butt and other high-ranking officials.

It’s the fifth martyrdom of army men in the last three months.

In earlier incidents, Maj Ali Salman and three soldiers had been attacked and martyred by a suicide bomber in Timergara, Dir, on Aug 9.

Lieutenant Arsalan Alam had been targeted by terrorists from across Afghanistan in Rajgal, Khyber Agency, on Sept 23.

Also in Khyber Agency sepoy Muhammad Ilyas had been shot dead during an exchange of fire with terrorists in on Nov 9, while Capt Junaid Hafeez and sepoy Raham were martyred in a cross-border attack by terrorists in Bajaur Agency on Nov 13.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2017