RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has telephoned Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan and urged him to cooperate for safe recovery of Russian national among seven crew of a copter that crash-landed earlier today,Online reported Friday.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif requested Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s assistance for the safe recovery of the kidnapped crew aboard a Punjab government helicopter which crashed in Afghanistan Friday night.
Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa earlier confirmed that seven people were on board the helicopter including retired military officers and a Russian navigator.
“The COAS called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today and asked him to help in the safe and early recovery of the crew members of the Punjab government,” the DG ISPR said.
The Foreign Ministry is also in touch with the Afghan government about the incident.
“We are consulting, and high level consultations with the Afghan delegation are underway at the Foreign Office,” said Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.
The Mi-17 chopper, which was onits way to Russia via Uzbekistan for maintenance, crashed in Afghanistan’s Logar province, where Taliban insurgents took the crew hostage before setting the aircraft on fire.
Hamidullah Hamid, governor of the Azra district in Logar province, said that all seven people aboard the chopper had been detained by Taliban after the crash. He said “the government has no control of the area” where the chopper crashed and burst into flames.
Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on Friday visited the families of the helicopter’s pilots Col. (retd) Shafiqur Rehman, Col (retd.) Nasir Mehmood and Col. (retd) Safdar Hussein in Lahore and expressed his heartfelt sympathies.
He also briefed them on measures being taken to safely recover the crew members.
“The helicopter incident is regrettable but thank God that the crew is safe,” the chief minister said.
“I am in contact with the relevant federal agencies in this matter. Our first priority is the safe recovery of the crew. I have faith we will receive some good news soon.”
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said an investigative team is being sent to the area as it is not contactable by phone.
No information over location of hostages given by Aghan Govt: FO
ISLAMABAD (INP): Pakistan is waiting for an answer from the Afghan government over the location of a helicopter which crash landed in Afghanistan with reports of all seven people on board taken hostage by the Taliban.
The foreign office in its statement said that the Afghan government had not given any information to Pakistan despite a lapse of 24 hours into the incident.
The Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif called the Army Chief on Friday inquiring about the hostages. He is also in contact with officials in the Afghan government, a CM House statement said.
Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, General John Nicholson, Commander Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, and asked them to help recover the crew of the chopper that crash landed in Logar, according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
A Punjab government helicopter crash-landed in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, officials said, with Afghan media and officials reporting that all seven people on board were taken hostage by the Taliban.
Officials at the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad confirmed the crash-landing, adding that the helicopter was bought by the Punjab government from Uzbekistan and was being taken there for overhauling.
Afghan Taliban claims to hold crashed helicopter’s crew as hostage
PESHAWAR: Afghan Taliban on Friday claimed to have held the crew on board Punjab government’s helicopter that crash-landed in Afghanistan as hostage,INP reported .
The ill-fated helicopter belonging to the Punjab government was heading for overhauling when it crash-landed in Afghanistan on Thursday. Afghan Taliban claimed to have held all seven crew members on board as hostage.
Afghan Taliban sources announced that the fate of the hostages shall be announced by the central shura however the session of the shura has yet not been called.
Taliban have also released the names of the hostages. Details regarding shooting the helicopter down or its crash landing were not released.
