A heart-rending episode that saddened the hearts of everyone across the length and breadth of Pakistan. Ambassador of Philippines, Domingo D Lucenario Jr, Ambassador of Norway Leif H Larsen, wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors and two Pakistan Army Majors flying the ill-fated MI-17 helicopter got killed in the tragic accident.
Tour of the breathtaking Naltar Valley, Gilgit by foreign diplomats has been a routine affair. Foreign tourists including high-profile diplomats have always been wooed by the awesome beauty of Naltar valley to frequent the place. The diplomats and their families who were aboard the MI-17 helicopter that crashed were on one such routine visit of Naltar Valley. They were all too happy and excited. No one from among them knew from Adams what fate had in store for them on the tragic day.
It was reported that in all, there were 19 people in this particular helicopter out of which 12 were rescued. Seven people, including the two Pakistan Army pilots who were piloting the copter, lost their precious lives in this tragic incident. The Indonesian Ambassador is reported to be in critical condition as he has suffered 75 percent burns. The magnitude of the tragedy could have been far greater had the Army Public School, on the roof top of which the ill-fated MI-17 helicopter crashed on Friday, May 8, 2015, been open and the students were in attendance. Thank Cod, it wasn’t.
The prime minister, who was informed about the incident during his flight to Gilgit, cancelled the trip and returned to Islamabad. He directed immediate transportation of the injured to the nearest hospital and provision of best medical treatment to them. Undoubtedly, the response of the Government of Pakistan to the tragedy was quick and demonstrative. The Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif not only expressed his deep sense of shock and profound grief over the tragic incident but he also immediately assigned three of his cabinet ministers to accompany the dead bodies of envoys and spouses who lost their lives in the disastrous crash. This and the other decision of the Prime Minster of Pakistan to confer Sitara-e-Pakistan on the deceased Philippines and Norwegian Ambassadors, and the spouses of the Malaysian and Indonesian Ambassadors, would certainly be deeply appreciated by their respective countries. Yet another noteworthy step taken by the government of Pakistan vis-à-vis the tragedy was to hold a day of mourning across the country, on May 9, 2015, to pay respect to the martyrs of the copter crash. To further demonstrate its sympathy and grief with the members of the bereaved families of those who lost their loved ones in the crash of Friday, May 8, 2015, the national flag flew at half-mast at all eminent public buildings in the federal capital.
All that has happened is truly very sad.
All that has been done by the government of Pakistan to express its shock and grief over the tragedy of Friday, May 8 at Naltar (Gilgit) is worthy of appreciation. What, however, remains to be done and must be done is to find out the exact cause of the accident. This must be done to not only determine the facts but also to satisfy the concerns of those who suffered colossal losses in the shape of the death of their near and dear ones in the incident.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
