Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesperson Maj Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa on Saturday took to Twitter and brushed aside rumours that one of the captives of Punjab government’s helicopter crew, which crash landed at Azrah district in Logar province of Afghanistan three days ago, was a close relative of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.

He stressed that the rumours were baseless as none of the hostages was related to the army chief. He, however, added that the lives of all hostages were precious and efforts were being made for their safe return.

The rumours started pouring in when Afghanistan’s national news agency, Pajhwok, claimed while quoting a member of the district council in Logar province, Abdul WaliWakil, that one of the crewmembers of the helicopter was related to the Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif. He reportedly claimed that the helicopter had not landed due to the technical faults but had landed on purpose.

According to a Pakistani military source, efforts were underway on Saturday for the safe release of the hostages but no major breakthrough had taken place thus far. He said that both the foreign office and military officials were making efforts by using all channels of communications to secure the release of the captives.

The hostages include Col (r) Shafeequr Rahman, Col (r) Safdar Hussain, Capt (r) Safdar Ashraf, Flight Engineer Nasir Mehmood, crew chief Mohammad Kausar and Russian national Sergei Sewastianow.

Fearing raids of the Afghan government, the Taliban have kept all the hostages at three different places, said Azrah Governor Hameedullah Hameed. He added that two hostages were with Mullah Shereen, two with Mullah Wali while the other two were kept at another place. He claimed that Pakistani authorities were in contact with the Afghan Taliban for the safe release of the copter crew, adding that senior Afghan Taliban Commander Mullah Najeebullah has arrived in Arzah district and was busy in talks with local Taliban commanders in this regard.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had declared to use various means to recover the copter crew. “We are anxious for the crew of the helicopter and in contact with Afghanistan authorities,” he stated in a statement. The Russian MI 17 helicopter of the Punjab government crash-landed in Afghanistan on Thursday. According to Pakistan Army, the helicopter was heading to Russia via Afghanistan and Uzbekistan for routine overhaul. It remains to be seen whether the helicopter was shot down or it landed due to some fault, as being portrayed.