Pakistan Army Chief Attends Funeral Of Major Who Captured Abhinandan In 2019
Islamabad:
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir attended the funeral of a Pakistani military officer who had claimed to have captured Indian Air Force pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, after his jet was shot down in a dogfight in 2019. Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, 37, was killed on Tuesday in a clash with the Taliban militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan near the Afghan border.
Shah's funeral prayers were held at his native village, Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi, and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended it, according to a statement released by Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
A picture from the funeral prayers has also surfaced on social media, where Azim can be spotted with other Army officers.
"Major Syed Moiz Abbas fought bravely in the face of resistance and ultimately laid down his life in the line of duty, upholding the highest traditions of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism," the ISPR statement quoted Munir as saying.
Shah was laid to rest with full military honours, the statement added.
About Major Shah
Shah was commissioned into the Pakistani Army in 2011. However, he later became part of the Special Services Group (SSG) and was currently serving in the volatile Waziristan region.
After his death, it turned out that he was the same officer who had captured Abhinandan Varthaman and saved him from mob violence, local media reported.
An old clip of his interview with Geo TV on social media shows Shah, who was captain then, giving details of capturing Abhinandan Varthaman.
Operation Against Pakistan Taliban
Per the ISPR statement, the army troops killed 11 terrorists belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and wounded seven others in the same operation.
Another jawan, Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, 27, was also killed in the same battle.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several terrorist outfits in 2007. Its main aim is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan.
The group, believed to be close to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.
Pakistan describes TTP as "Fitna al-Khawarij", a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence.
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