Former air chief Asghar Khan laid to rest with military honours

RAWALPINDI: The mortal remains of veteran politician and soldier Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan were laid to rest with full military honours in the Nawanshehr graveyard on Saturday.

Asghar Khan’s state funeral was held at PAF Base Nur Khan, where a contingent of the air force personnel presented him a guard of honour.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Air Marshal Sohail Aman, Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Zubair Mehmood Hayat were among the top civil and military leaders who attended the funeral.

Subsequently, his mortal remains were brought to Abbottabad via helicopter for burial at the family graveyard in Nawansher with full military honour.

Asghar Khan passed away on Friday at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalpindi at the age of 97.

According to his son Ali Asghar Khan, his father died due to cardiac arrest at 6:00am at the hospital. He was admitted to the hospital a few days ago owing to a chest infection.

Asghar Khan was the youngest commander of the country’s air force and commanded the newly established force at the age of 35.

He was also founder of Tehrik-e-Istiqlal Pakistan, which was once a mainstream political party in Pakistan and part of an opposition alliance that had launched protest movement against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto-led Pakistan People’s Party government in late 70s.

The party in its twilight days announced its merger with Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in January 2012.