A combination of distributed photos of Engineer Essa, Sepoy Rizwan and Captain Asmad who were martyred during a snow clearing operation. Photo: ISPR
RAWALPINDI:
Three persons, including an army captain, were martyred on Saturday when an avalanche swept away a team of the Pakistan Army engaged in an overnight operation to clear snow from Burzil Pass in north Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a snow clearing operation was carried out in the wee hours of Saturday using machinery to facilitate the operational movement of troops in the area.
Around 02:00, an avalanche occurred, trapping the captain leading the operation, along with two soldiers and a civilian machine operator.
After the incident, the authorities launched an intensive rescue operation and retrieved all four people from the snow.
“However, the condition of Captain Asmad, Sepoy Rizwan and Machine Operator Essa deteriorated and all three embraced shahadat,” the statement said.
Captain Asmad, 28, was a resident of Lahore; Sepoy Rizwan, 32, hailed from Attock, while machine operator Essa was from the Astore area of GB.
“These individuals made the ultimate sacrifice leading a challenging operation in extreme weather conditions to facilitate the operational movement of forces.
“Their sacrifice and devotion to duty is testimony to the fact that all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces are determined to defend the motherland and will not hesitate to lay down their lives in the line of duty and devotion to the cause,” the press release said.
Following the tragic incident, both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued separate statements expressing deep grief and sorrow.
President Zardari paid tribute to the martyrs and expressed heartfelt condolences to their bereaved families. He prayed for the elevation of their ranks in Paradise and for patience and strength for the grieving families. “Those who put their lives on the line are the pride of the nation,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also expressed condolences to the families of the martyrs. He said that regardless of their own lives, the martyrs continued the operation to reopen the snow-hit Burzil Pass and played their role in ensuring smooth flow of traffic. “The nation pays tribute to the martyrs,” he added.
