Daughters of Col Asif decorated the street to receive their father who lost his life in a helicopter crash in Congo.
The video was shared on social media that shows the street was decorated with red roses and flowers to honor their father. The daughters were seen crying in the video.
Eight UN peacekeepers — six Pakistanis, a Russian, and a Serb — lost their lives when a Puma helicopter crashed in the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, UN last month.
“While undertaking a reconnaissance mission in Congo, 1 PUMA Helicopter crashed. The exact cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained,” the Pakistani military’s media wing said.
Daughters of Col Asif decorated entire street to receive their father who embraced shahadat on UN duty 😭 pic.twitter.com/GeH6KGQ7bp
— bilal akbar (@bilalakbar73) April 5, 2022
Read more: Pakistan always sacrificed for UN peacekeeping missions
It added that six Pakistani troops were among those who embraces martyrdom. A spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres in New York confirmed the crash and gave the nationality of all eight victims.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his “deep sense of shock and grief”, his office said, paying tribute to the global peace effort by the country’s armed forces.
The UN Stabilization Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) said earlier in a tweet that it had “lost contact” with one of its helicopters which was on a reconnaissance mission in the Rutshuru region of North Kivu province where Congolese forces have been battling M23 rebels.
In a statement, ISPR released the names of the martyred who are Lt. Col Asif Ali Awan, (Pilot), Maj Saad Nomani (Co-Pilot), Maj Faizan Ali, N/Sub Sami Ullah Khan (Flight Engineer), Havaldar Muhammad Ismail (Crew Chief), and L/Hav Muhamad Jamil (Gunner).
“Pakistan Aviation Unit is deployed in UN Mission Congo on peacekeeping duties since 2011. On Mar 29, 22 while undertaking a reconnaissance mission in Congo, 1 PUMA Helicopter crashed,” the ISPR statement said. Investigation regarding the exact cause of the crash is underway.
Read more: Pakistan’s peacekeeping mission saves 2000 people
Ever since Pakistan joined the UN on 30th September 1947, it has made remarkable contributions. Pakistan’s first UN peacekeeping mission began in 1960 in Congo and more than 200,000 Pakistani soldiers have participated in about 70 missions in 28 countries. Furthermore, Pakistan is the third-largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping efforts.