Daily Times

Six Pakistan Army officials were martyred after their helicopter crashed during a flying mission near Khost in Balochistan’s Harnai area, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday.

“All six personnel on board, including two pilots, have embraced shahadat,” the military’s media wing said.

The martyred officers were identified as: Major Khurram Shahzad, 39, resident of Attock. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. Major Muneeb Afzal, 30, resident of Rawalpindi. He was married with two sons. Sub Abdul Wahid, 44, resident of Village Sabir Abad in Karak. He is survived by his wife and four children. Sepoy Muhammad Imran, 27, resident of Makhdoompur Khanewal. He was married with three children, including two daughters and a son. Nk Jalil, 30, was part of the crew, a resident of Kharian, District Gujrat. He is survived by his wife and two sons. Sepoy Shoaib, 35, a resident of district Attock. He was married with one son.

The funeral prayers of the martyred soldiers were held at Quetta Garrison, Balochistan, later in the day. They were attended by Corps Commander Balochistan Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor among other senior military and civilian officials. The bodies of the deceased soldiers will be sent to their native towns where they will be buried with full military honours, stated the ISPR.

On August 1, a Pakistan Army helicopter with six people on board, including Commander 12 Corps Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, lost contact with the air traffic control in Balochistan’s Lasbela district. A day later, the wreckage of the helicopter was found near Musa Goth, with all personnel on board embracing martyrdom. According to the ISPR, the accident occurred due to bad weather.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the helicopter crash. “Deeply saddened by the martyrdom of 6 military officials, including 2 pilots, in the accident of Pakistan Army helicopter in Harnai, Balochistan,” he said in a tweet. “The entire nation shares the grief of the bereaved families,” he added.

President Arif Alvi also expressed grief over the incident and paid tributes to the martyred officials. An official statement on Twitter said the president prayed for the martyrs and extended condolences to their families.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said he was deeply saddened to hear of the incident, terming it to be “tragic”.

PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry said helicopter flying was getting dangerous, adding that this required “engineering evaluation”. “Too many crashes […] rest in peace bravehearts. All were too young to die,” he said.