TAXILA: Funeral prayers of Major Atif, who embraced martyrdom in a helicopter crash during an operational mission in Chilas on Monday, were offered at the central mosque in Wah Cantt on Tuesday and was later buried in his ancestral graveyard with full military honour.

Major Atif was honored with a military salute and paid tribute with full ceremonial protocol during the funeral rites.

Senior civil and military officers, comrades-in-arms, city notables, and citizens attended the ceremony, paying their respects to the late officer and highlighting his dedication to serving the country. Emotional scenes unfolded as family members received condolences.

According to family sources, Major Atif has left behind parents, his widow, and three children.

Relatives described him as a devoted family man and a courageous officer who always put duty before personal comfort.

His father said that although the loss was unbearable, he felt proud that his son sacrificed his life in the line of duty.

During the funeral, the atmosphere reverberated with slogans of ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘Pakistan Zindabad’.

Local residents gathered in large numbers to pay their last respects, calling him the pride of the city.

Five personnel of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom as a MI-17 helicopter under use by the Pakistan Army crashed on Monday morning near Chilas.

The army helicopter which was on routine training developed a technical fault owing to which the accident happened.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2025