Pakistan's First Female Fighter Pilot Marium Mukhtiar Remembered

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published November 24, 2020 | 02:19 PM

The nation remembered country's first female fighter jet pilot Marium Mukhtiar, who sacrificed her life in the line of duty and embraced martyrdom, on her fifth death anniversary on Tuesday

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Nov, 2020 ) :The nation remembered country's first female fighter jet pilot Marium Mukhtiar, who sacrificed her life in the line of duty and embraced martyrdom, on her fifth death anniversary on Tuesday.

Marium Mukhtiar was martyred on November 24, 2015 during a routine flight on a training plane due to a technical malfunction near Mianwali and became the first female martyr pilot of Pakistan. When the plane broke down, Marium turned it towards an uninhabited area.

Belonging to a military family, Marium Mukhtiar was born on May 18, 1992, in Karachi. Her father Mukhtiar Ahmed Shaikh was a retired colonel of the Pakistan Army, who was an inspiration for her to join the armed forces.

She passed the Intermediate Examination from Army Public school and College, Malir Cantt, Karachi.

She was one of the best football players as well as she played for Balochistan United in the National Women's Football Championship, a private channels reported.

Mukhtiar joined the Pakistan Air Force in 2014 as a graduate. She was from PAF's 132nd GD Pilot Course, which was attended by six other women.

She was among about 20 female fighter pilots in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which only began inducting women in combat roles in 2006.

She was on a mission on an FT-7PG aircraft when her jet developed a fault and crashed at Kandian area in Bhakra near Mianwali. Even though Marium and her co-pilot were successful to eject before the aircraft crashed, she suffered serious injuries which proved fatal.

Marium Mukhtar was honoured with Tamgha-e-Basalat (Medal of Good Conduct) on 23rd March 2016 by government of Pakistan.

On her anniversary, people specially youngsters shared posts and pictures on social media while paying heartfelt homages to the martyr.