Soldiers buried with full honours

SWABI, July 18: Two brave soldiers of Pakistan Army, who had volunteered to fight for the defence of the country, were laid to rest in their native towns on Sunday.

Captain Karnal Sher Khan was buried at Nawan Killi, Swabi, while another, Captain Amir Ali Noor was buried at Abbottabad with full military honours.

In Swabi, the Namaz-i-Janaza of Captain Karnal Sher Khan was attended by the NWFP Governor Mohammad Arif Bangash, high-ranking officials, local officers and jawans of armed forces and a large number of people from all walks of life.

Earlier a Namaz-i-Janaza for the two Pakistan Army personnel was offered at PAF Base, Chaklala at Rawalpind on Sunday morning.

President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar, federal ministers, services chiefs, other senior and retired civil and military officers, junior commissioned officers, jawans and relatives of the Shuhada were present on the occasion.

The body of Karnal Sher Khan and another official of Pakistan Army were handed over to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by the Indians on Saturday after keeping them for 19 days. Body of Captain Karnal Sher Khan was received at Chaklala Air Base, Rawalpindi on Sunday morning by Chief of the Army Staff, General Pervez Musharaaf where his Namaz-i-Janaza was offered.

Earlier, his Namaz-i-Janaza was also offered at Quaid-i-Azam International airport Karachi when his body reached there. Finally he was laid to rest here at his ancestral town Faujoonabad, Charbagh (Swabi).

Karnal Sher first joined Pakistan Air Force as an aeronautics engineer and later opted for Pakistan Army and joined 27th Sindh Regiment as a Commissioned officer.

The news of his martyrdomwas first considered by his family members as a propaganda campaign by India but later the BBC and his brother from UAE confirmed.

Karnal was not actually part of his name. It was his grandfather Sher Ghalib Khan who called him Karnal Sher when he was a child. After joining the army he really added the word Karnal (colonel) to his name and that he was known as Karnal Sher Khan.

Karnal Sher was not married and was to marry in the near future, which was delayed due to his abrupt transfer to the LoC.

ABBOTTABAD:Captain Amir Ali Noor who sacrificed his life at Line of Control was buried here with full military honours.

Captain Amir Ali of 20 Lancer Armed Corps was posted at Kargil sector at LoC. He was hit by a shell fired by Indian Army at LoC and in critical condition, he was shifted to CMH Rawalpindi where he lost his breath during the journey.

His Namaz-i-Janaza was held here at Baloch Regiment Centre athletic ground which was attended by a large number of people from all walks of life and according to elders of the city, this was the biggest ever Namaz-i-Janaza held in the city.

Those who attended the funeral were federal minister Gohar Ayub Khan, Air Marshal Asghar Khan, Quarter Master General LtGen Mohammad Akram, Maj Gen Arif Hassan represented Commander 10 Corps, Director General Armed Corps Maj Gen Rehmat, Commandant PMA Kakul Maj Gen Imtiaz Shaheen, Station Commander Abbottabad Brig M. Omer, Sardar Fida, MNA, represented chief minister NWFP Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan.

Unmarried Captain Amir was 27.