Pakistan observes day of mourning over Naltar tragedy

ISLAMABAD: A day of mourning was observed across the country on Saturday in memory of those killed in Friday’s military helicopter crash in the Naltar area of Gilgit-Baltistan.
In the federal capital, the national flag flew at half-mast at government buildings, including the Presidency, Parliament House, Supreme Court and the Prime Minister’s House.
The Namaz-e-Janaza of the martyred pilots, Major Altamash and Faisal, and crew chief Naib Subedar Zakir was offered at Chaklala.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Rashad Mahmood, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah attended the funeral prayers.
According to the ISPR, the burial of the martyrs will take place in their native towns after their DNA tests.
Earlier, the bodies of seven persons killed in the helicopter crash, including the ambassadors of the Philippines and Norway, the wives of the Indonesian and Malaysian ambassadors and three Pakistan Army officials, were received at the Noor Khan Airbase.
Top civil and military officials of Pakistan and the staff of the Norwegian, Philippines, Malaysian and Indonesian embassies were present at the airbase.
Soldiers presented a salute as the coffins of the diplomats wrapped in national flags arrived at the Noor Khan Airbase.
Nine persons who sustained injuries, were also shifted from Gilgit to the Noor Khan Airbase through a C-130 aircraft. Later, the bodies were handed over to the respective embassies with full protocol.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif offered profound condolences to his Malaysian counterpart on the sad death of Madam Datin Habibah binti Mahmud, wife of the Malaysian High Commissioner, Dato Dr Hasrul Sani Mujtabar, in the chopper crash.
The prime minister made a phone call to his Malaysian counterpart Dato Sri Mohammad Najib, and expressed sentiments of sadness to the government and people of Malaysia and the bereaved family on behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan. The prime minister briefly told the Malaysian PM about the circumstances in which the tragic accident took place. He informed him that the accident occurred during a routine trip organised by the administration to the picturesque Naltar valley.
Nawaz informed his Malaysian counterpart that he himself was on his way to Naltar to have lunch with the envoys when he received this tragic news. A technical failure in one of the four helicopters resulted in the loss of seven precious lives, including that of Madame Habibah binti Mahmud.
Madam Habibah was a fine human being. She was an ardent promoter of strong bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Malaysia. She was very popular in the social and diplomatic circles in Islamabad. She will be greatly missed.
The prime minister informed the Malaysian PM that the government will be sending the mortal remains of Madame Habibah to Kulala Lumpur at the earliest.
To pay respects to Madame Habibah and keeping in view our close friendly and brotherly relations, a federal minister would accompany the body of Madame Habibah to Malaysia.
At the end, he conveyed that a one-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country and in Pakistan’s missions abroad on this national tragedy.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Dr Shahzad Waseem has expressed heartfelt grief over the death of the Norwegian and Philippines ambassadors, spouses of the Malaysian and Indonesian envoys and military officials in the Naltar helicopter crash.
In a statement, Dr Shahzad said he feels deep grief over the tragic incident. He expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said it had no reason to doubt Pakistan’s claim that a helicopter crash which killed several people, including two ambassadors, was an accident.
Asked at a news briefing what was the US understanding of the crash, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said: “The Pakistan Air Force has already said something about this. They described it as a technical fault that they believe was responsible.”
Reminded of a claim by the banned TTP that it had brought down the helicopter, the spokesman said: “We have no reason to doubt what the Pakistani authorities have said.”
Extending condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the accident, Rathke said: “Our thoughts are with the diplomatic community in Pakistan.”
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also expressed sorrow over the helicopter crash in Naltar tragedy.
In a statement, he extended his condolences to the families of the crash victims and the governments of Pakistan, the Philippines, Norway, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Rob Nicholson also expressed deep sorrow and grief on the crash of a Pakistani military helicopter.
According to the Canadian High Commission, Rob Nicholson said, “We are saddened to learn of this tragic loss of life. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the Pakistani crew and the passengers, including the Norwegian and Philippine heads of mission and the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian heads of mission, who were killed in this unfortunate event.”
Meanwhile, three ambassadors to Pakistan who survived the helicopter crash described the terrifying moment the aircraft spun out of control before slamming into the ground and catching fire.
Testimonies of diplomats on board from Malaysia, Argentina and the Netherlands released by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Saturday also unequivocally bolstered government and eyewitness statements that the disaster was an accident rather than an act of terrorism.
Malaysia’s envoy — who was himself injured in the crash — described how the journey had gone to plan until they were due to land at their destination.
“After arriving at Gilgit airport everything went well except for the last few minutes, when the helicopter went into a spiral, round and round and round, and there it hit the ground,” Hasrul Sani Mujtabar said.
“I saw the pilot was killed, some others died instantly and I was in the middle. Then a few managed to escape but the fire was very strong,” with smoke quickly filling the helicopter, he said.
The helicopter was one of three carrying a delegation of ambassadors to inspect projects on a three-day trip to the region, where they were set to meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
“(Regarding) remarks and rumours that there was a terrorist attack or that there was sabotage, I can say 99.9 percent that they were not true, that this was a sad accident, a really unfortunate accident, by a technical fault on the plane,” Argentinean Ambassador Rodolfo Martin Saravia told the air force.
Dutch Ambassador Marcel de Vink said he felt “extremely lucky” to be alive after what he had witnessed. He was described as having sustained burns to the leg and face by the foreign ministry.
“I remember that we got into a spin and so thinking I suppose I braced a little bit for impact... afterwards I was actually opening my eyes seeing the smoke and explosions, so I was extremely lucky because it went incredibly fast,” he said.
Earlier, South Africa’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Mpendulo Jele, who survived the helicopter crash, told media at the Noor Khan Airbase it was an incident that can happen anywhere in the world.
He said that he was on the ill-fated helicopter and it was only a miracle that he survived. “The many survivors in the incident was a miracle”.
Giving an eye witness account of the moments before the crash, he said there was a sudden and major vibration in the air “then it took a vicious circle, went down and up and lastly it crumbled. Miraculously I remained scratchless in the incident.”
He said unfortunately they lost some of their colleagues and expressed his sorrow and grief to the families of those killed in the incident.
Havaldar Aurangzeb, another survivor, said his right hand was fractured when the helicopter started moving in circles minutes before the crash landing. He said despite having an injury he unfastened the seat belts of other passengers.