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KARACHI: The funeral prayers in absentia for flight engineer Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, one of the five crew members of a cargo plane that crashedin the Arabian Sea on July 7, were offered near his residence in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Sunday
A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft, en route from Sharjah to Karachi, had crashed in the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometres west of Karachi. Rescuers found the wreckage in a deep-sea search operation. Five crew members, including two pilots, two engineers, and one support staffer, were on board the aircraft, and their bodies have still not been found
On Sunday, a large number of people offered funeral prayers in absentia for Siddiqui, which was led by his son, Abdul Rafay
Moving scenes were witnessed during and after the funeral prayers. People demanded that the government intensify efforts to locate the bodies of the victims
JI leader slams ‘inadequate efforts’ to locate bodies of five K2 Airways crew members
City leadership of the Jamaat-i-Islami also attended the funeral
Talking to the media, JI leader Muslim Parvez observed that that the continued failure to recover the victims’ remains and the aircraft’s black box was deeply concerning
He also criticised what he termed the government’s inadequate efforts to search the sea for bodies following the crash
“The sudden disappearance of the aircraft from radar is a major tragedy that requires a comprehensive, transparent and impartial investigation,” he said
He urged the authorities to ensure an independent inquiry into the accident and to utilise all available re, so that the affected families could receive clarity and some measure of reassurance regarding their loved ones
Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026
