QUETTA: A Pakistan Army helicopter crashed during an overnight mission in Balochistan, leaving all six on board military personnel martyred, including both pilots, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said early Monday.
The crash took place in the district of Harnai, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of Quetta. It was not immediately clear what mission the helicopter was on, and the media wing of the army provided no further details.
The government in Balochistan said an investigation was underway. Responding to the news, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed his deep grief over the martyrdom of six army officials.
Prime Minister condoled with the families of martyrs Major Khurram Shahzad, Major Muhammad Muneeb Afzal, Subidar Abdul Wahid, Sepoy Muhammad Imran, Naik Jalil, and Sepoy Shoaib.
Expressing his deep regret over the unfortunate incident, he said that Pakistan forces have made unprecedented sacrifices for the protection, security and defense of the motherland and nation is proud of their martyrs and will never forget these sacrifices.
He also prayed for the elevation of high ranks of the martyred and patience to their families.
President Dr. Arif Alvi also paid tribute to the officials of the Pakistan Army who laid down their lives in the line of their duty.
The president expressed these views on the martyrdom of six army troops including two pilots in the Harnai helicopter crash.
The president prayed for the departed souls of Major Muneeb Afzal, Major Khurram Shehzad, Subedar Abdul Wahid, Naik Jaleel, Sepoy Muhammad Imran, and Sepoy Shoaib. He also prayed for the grant of patience to the families of the martyred troops.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also offered his condolences to the martyrs and said:
“Be it war or peace, the sacrifices of the officers and men of the armed forces for the sake of the motherland are unforgettable.”
On the other hand, PDM and JUI Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has also expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom and said that his heart is saddened by the martyrdom of the soldiers of the Pakistan Army.
“I pray that Allah accepts the martyrdoms of the martyrs and gives them high status. This is not only the grief of the families of the martyrs, it is the grief of the entire nation,” he said.
Similarly, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan expressed regret over the martyrdom of six personnel including two pilots in the accident
In a different message he expressed his heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families. Similarly, former PM and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan also took to his Twitter to share his grief over the tragic incident.
‘Tragic army heli crash in which 6 soldiers were martyred, near Khost, Harnai Balochistan. My deepest condolences and prayers go to the families of these brave soldiers’, stated Imran Khan.
Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) also shared his grief over the incident and said helicopter flying was getting dangerous, noting that this required “engineering evaluation”.
“Too many crashes […] rest in peace, Bravehearts. All were too young to die,” he said in a tweet.
The funeral prayers of the martyrs of Harnai Helicopter Crash late last night near Khost was offered on Monday at the Quetta Garrison Balochistan.
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said that the Corps Commander Balochistan, Senior Military and Civil officials attended the funeral.
Jasd-e-Khaki (bodies/coffins) of the Shuhada (martyrs) were being dispatched to their native towns where they would be buried with full military honour, it added.
The latest incident comes weeks after a helicopter carrying a top general and five other soldiers crashed in Balochistan during a flood-related operation because of a technical fault, killing everyone on board.
Since mid-June, when unprecedented heavy rains and flooding gripped Pakistan, the military has been engaged in relief and rescue efforts across the country struggling with the deluge that has killed more than 1,600 people.
For the past two decades, Balochistan has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups. The government says it has quelled the militancy, but violence in the province has persisted.
