Special ceremony held to pay tribute to Gayari martyrs

RAWALPINDI: A special ceremony was held at Gayari, Siachen to pay tributes to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in line of duty in 2012 due to a massive snow avalanche, said the Inter Services Public Relations.

Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan, Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lieutenant General Nadeem Raza, and relatives of martyrs attended the ceremony.

Corps Commander laid floral wreath at martyrs monument on the occasion. Paying rich tribute to the martyrs and their families, he said that Pakistan Army will always remember its officers and men who laid their lives defending the motherland.

The incident occurred on April 7, 2012 when an avalanche hit a military base in Gayari Sector, near Siachen Glacier region, trapping 140 soldiers and civilian contractors under deep snow.

On May 29, Pakistan declared that the 129 soldiers and 11 civilians were confirmed dead. It was the worst avalanche that the Pakistan army had experienced in the area.