Martyred Brig Barki laid to rest

RAWALPINDI: Brigadier Mustafa Kamal Barki, martyred during an encounter with hardcore terrorists in Angoor Adda, South Waziristan, was laid to rest on Wednesday, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to the military’s media wing, President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum and a large number of serving and retired military officers and soldiers, government officials, parliamentarians and public attended the funeral held at Race Course Rawalpindi.

“The officer was buried at Army Graveyard with full military honours in acknowledgement of his services to the nation,” the statement mentioned.

The military’s media wing stated that throughout his military career, Brigadier Barki remained involved in active counter-terrorism operations and successfully dismantled numerous terrorist networks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He was monumental in neutralising the terrorist networks involved in Army Public School (APS) attack.

“The nation recognizes his meritorious services in life and supreme sacrifice offered for Pakistan. Armed forces of Pakistan and intelligence agencies stand resilient against terrorism and reaffirm the resolve to eradicate this menace of terrorism at all costs,” the ISPR mentioned.

A day earlier, Brigadier Barki embraced martyrdom while seven others sustained injuries during an intense fire exchange with terrorists near the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan. According to the military’s media wing, of those injured, two were critically wounded.

“Brigadier Barki and his team put up a valiant resistance against the terrorists during the encounter and the officer sacrificed his life for the peace of the motherland,” the ISPR said.

Earlier, the funeral prayer of Brigadier Mustafa Kamal Barki, who was martyred by terrorists in South Waziristan the other day, was offered at Baisakhi Ground, D I Khan, on Wednesday. The funeral prayer was led by Qari Khalil Ahmad Siraj and attended by Station Commander Brigadier Muhammad Rashid, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dera Abdul Ghafur Afridi, District Police Officer (DPO) Abdul Rauf Babar Qaiserani and others. Foolproof security arrangements were made on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the martyrs of Pakistan Army who embraced Shahadat during an operation in Saggu area of Dera Ismail Khan were laid to rest with full military honours in their native towns on Wednesday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release, the martyrs namely Havildar Azhar Iqbal, Naik Mohammad Asad and Sepoy Essa of Pakistan Army were laid to rest in Lodhran, Mian Channu and Bobar Ziarat, South Waziristan, respectively.

The funeral prayers and burial were attended by serving and retired military personnel, families and relatives of the martyrs and a large number of people from various segments of society.

Meanwhile, the parliament in its joint session on Wednesday offered Fateha for those who lost their lives in Tuesday night’s earthquakes in various parts of the country, martyrs of Angoor Adda encounter and flash floods in Avaran.

Member National Assembly Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali led the Fateha.