Marium Mukhtiar (May 19, 1992 November 24, 2015) was a Pakistani fighter pilot. She died flying a

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

(PAF) FT-7PG aircraft that crashed near Kundian in

Mianwali District The Mianwali District ( ur, ), is a district located in Sargodha Division of Punjab province, Pakistan. It was separated from NWFP in 1901, and has a border with the Chakwal, Attock,Kohat, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bhakkar, a ...

, northwestern

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

on November 24, 2015. She was the first female Pakistani fighter pilot to be killed in the line of duty.

Early life and career

Marium Mukhtiar was the daughter of Colonel Ahmed Mukhtiar who settled in Karachi, as his home town. She attended the Mehran Model School and College in Pano Akil and intermediate from Army Public School and College (APSACS) in Malir Cantt,

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

. She played football for Balochistan United in the

National Women Football Championship The National Women Football Championship is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in Pakistan – designed as an equivalent to the National Challenge Cup for men. It was started in 2005 by the Pakistan Football Federation. Youn ...

. She studied civil engineering at

NED University The NED University of Engineering & Technology is a public university located in the urban area of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is one of the oldest and best engineering universities in Pakistan, acknowledged for its best teaching practices an ...

before qualifying as a fighter pilot in the

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

(PAF) in 2014, along with six other women. She was also involved in charity work, supporting a school for children who were unable to afford an education.

Death

On 24 November 2015, Mukhtiar and squadron leader Saqib Abbasi were on a routine training mission when their FT-7PG crashed near Kundian,

Mianwali Mianwali (Punjabi/ ur, ) is the capital city of Mianwali District in Punjab, Pakistan. The 81st largest city of Pakistan, it is known for its diverse population of, Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities. History Mianwali District was an agricult ...

. Both occupants ejected from the cockpit; Abbasi suffered minor injuries, but Mukhtiar died of her injuries in a military hospital. Mukhtiar and her co-pilot had ejected at too low an altitude, an air force spokesman said. Abbasi survived possibly because he had managed to eject seconds earlier. Mukhtiar's death was declared a

martyrdom A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

(or ''shahadat'') by the PAF, which said both pilots "handled the serious emergency with professionalism and courage and tried to save the ill-fated aircraft until the very last minute. Flying Officer Mukhtiar could have saved her life had she ejected before taking PAF FT-7PG out of populous areas but both pilots decided to take the risk to keep flying the falling jet." She is buried in Malir Cantonment Graveyard.

Awards

Pakistan's Senate Standing Committee on Defence (SSCD) recommended Mukhtiar for a state award. She was awarded the

Tamgha-e-Basalat Tamgha-i-Basalat ( ur, تمغہِ بسالت, , ''Medal of Good Conduct'') is an award of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It is a non operational award. See also * Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces The awards and decorations of ...

by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territorie ...

Popular culture

* ''

Ek Thi Marium ''Ek Thi Marium'' ( ) is a 2016 Pakistani biographical television film based on the life of Pakistani female fighter pilot Marium Mukhtiar. Produced by Nina Kashif, it is directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and written by Umera Ahmad. It feature ...

'' – a 2016 Pakistani biographical telefilm aired by

Urdu 1 Urdu 1 ( ur, ) is a 24-hour Urdu language television network, owned by Alliance Media FZ LLC, which is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The channel's transmission became available in Pakistan on 12 June 2012, with regular transmission begi ...

, directed by

Sarmad Sultan Khoosat Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (born May 7, 1979) is a Pakistani actor, film/ TV director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing the super-hit TV dramas ''Humsafar'' and ''Shehr-e-Zaat''. He is considered to be one of the best South Asian f ...

, written by

Umera Ahmad Umera Ahmed ( Punjabi, ur, ) is a Pakistani writer, author and screenwriter. She is best known for her novels and plays ''Shehr-e-Zaat'', ''Pir-e-Kamil'', ''Zindagi Gulzar Hai'', '' Alif'', ''Durr-e-Shehwar'', ''Daam'', '' Man-o-Salwa'', ''Qa ...

, and starring

Sanam Baloch Sanam Baloch Hisbani or Jatoi ( ur, , ) (born 14 July 1986) credited as Sanam Baloch is a Pakistani actress and television presenter. She has hosted various television shows such as; ''Sanam Small Room'' on KTN and the morning show on Samaa TV ...

as Mukhtiar.

References

External links

Official PAF Documentary on Marium's LifeMarium Mukhtiar Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mukhtar, Mariam 1992 births 2015 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents Pakistan Air Force officers Pakistani women aviators Pakistani female military officers Sindhi people Pakistani women's footballers Balochistan United W.F.C. players Women's association footballers not categorized by position NED University of Engineering & Technology alumni Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2015