PK-8303 crash: Funeral prayers of PAF officer offered in Karachi

KARACHI: Funeral prayers of Squadron Leader Zain-ul Arif Khan, who martyred in the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-8303 plane crash, offered at PAF Base Faisal today.

The funeral prayers were attended by Air Vice Marshal Ahmad Hassan, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Engineering) and Air Vice-Marshal Abbas Ghumman, Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command along with large number of PAF personnel, civil and military officials.

He was among the passengers who embraced martyrdom in the tragic PK-8303 in Karachi last week.

Squadron Leader Zain was posted at Air Headquarters, Islamabad and was travelling to Karachi to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with his parents.

Later, the martyred soul was laid to rest at PAF graveyard, Korangi Creek with full military honor.

Earlier in the day, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that at least 64 bodies of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash victims have been handed over to their families after identification.

CM Murad in a statement said that out of the total, 64 bodies have been identified so far. He maintained that of the 64 bodies, 25 has been identified through DNA tests.

He said that 33 bodies were kept in different morgues and their identification process was underway. “22 bodies have been kept in Edhi morgue while 11 in Chippa morgue,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the investigation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash in Karachi, has entered into its final stage as Airbus experts have collected important evidence to complete their probe.

Except for two survivors, all 97 passengers and crew members of the flight that crashed in a residential area near Karachi airport were confirmed dead. However, no resident of the Model Colony’s Jinnah Garden, where the plane crashed, was among the deceased.