Chitral remains closed as people mourn PIA crash

CHITRAL: The atmosphere remained gloomy across the valley a day after the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash in which 47 people, including 17 residents of the district, were killed.

The plane of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had taken off from Chitral on its way to Islamabad and crashed in the mountains in Havelian in Abbottabad district. The government offices, educational institutions as well as small and big markets remained closed across the mountainous Chitral Valley to mourn the tragedy.

Funeral prayers in absentia were also offered for the victims of the crash. Fateha Khawani was organised in various seminaries and mosques in Chitral to pray for the departed men, women and children. District Nazim Maghfirat Shah had announced three-day mourning on the tragedy.

The participants in separate gatherings also lauded the services of the Deputy Commissioner Chitral, Osama Ahmad Warraich, for the district. He perished in the crash along with his wife Amna Ahmad, who had qualified as an environmental engineer from the University of Engineering, and six-month-old daughter Mahrukh. The victims from the plane crash on Wednesday included Shahzada Farhad Aziz and his only daughter Tayyiba Aziz.

Farhad Aziz was a known paraglider and had played a leading role in introduction and promotion of the sport in Chitral. He was associated with the teaching profession for the last few decades and used to take classes at the Langlands Public School, a well-known educational institution in Chitral town. Haji Takbeer Khan, who was a known trader, was also killed in the plane crash.

The father of 12 children was going to Islamabad to participate in the dastarbandi ceremony of one of his sons. Salman Zainul Abideen, the son of the late member provincial assembly and Pakistan People’s Party district president Zainul Abideen, was also among the victims of the plane crash.

He had assumed the charge of the office of regional programme manager at the Hashoo Foundation a day earlier and was going to Islamabad to attend a meeting. Shamshad Begum, who had come to Chitral in connection with renewal of her passport from Faisalabad in Punjab, was also onboard the plane and lost her life.

A government contractor Haji Nawaz was going to Islamabad in connection with some important work but could not make it to his destination.Another victim Ayesha Usman had done M Phil in Chemistry from the Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad and wanted to go to the United Kingdom for her PhD.

Other victims included Muhammad Ali, Mirza Gul, Gul Horan, Hassan Ali, Zahida Parveen, Farhan, Muhammad Ali and Omara Khan.Meanwhile, the political parties and civil society organisations blamed the incident on the incompetency of PIA administration and demanded probe into the tragedy.