Havoc in heaven truly fits the current situation of the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The devastating floods completely submerged a few districts. To many people’s dismay, an army helicopter carrying six officers including Corps Commander Quetta Lt. General Sarfraz Ali crashed while carrying out relief activities. Like every other citizen, Pakistanis celebrities were shattered and mourned for the Shuhada (martyrs).
The officers were part of the relief operations in Balochistan as the monsoon flooding, which began in mid-June, taking lives of almost 500 people so far, including 149 in Balochistan alone. All the personnel on board the helicopter embraced martyrdom, the COAS confirmed, adding that the incident took place due to bad weather and poor visibility during the rescue and relief operation in the province. He maintained that the wreckage of the copper has been recovered.
The helicopter went missing after losing contact with the air traffic control on Monday. The military mounted a search operation which was stymied by the difficult mountainous terrain of the Lasbela district.
Prayers and condolences started pouring in from political figures and showbiz personalities. The loss of the martyrs will always be remembered.
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Very unfortunate loss. Salute to our brave military who sacrifice their lives in the line of duty. I pray their families can bear the burden of their loss. May the departed souls rest in peace. Aameen
— Rohail Hyatt ???????? (@rohailhyatt) August 2, 2022
May the departed rest in peace. Such an unpredictable life! There’s only one way to live and I believe that is to live in the moment and do good for others. Pakistan Zindabad! #helicopter
— Haroon Shahid (@Haroon_5hahid) August 2, 2022
اے راہ حق کے شہیدو، وفا کی تصویرو
تمہیں وطن کی ہوائیں سلام کہتی ہیں pic.twitter.com/0rN1Zczar5— VEENA MALIK (@iVeenaKhan) August 1, 2022
Tragic news about the army aviation helicopter crash & the martyrdom of all six on board. My condolences & prayers to the families of the martyrs. I had the privilege of knowing Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali whom I found to be a thorough professional & an upright, honest human being.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 2, 2022
The wreckage of a military helicopter that went missing Monday night was found in a coastal district of Balochistan and none of the six officers and crew on board survived the crash, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday.
Commander 12 Corps Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, Major General Amjad Hanif, Brigadier Muhammad Khalid, Major Saeed Ahmed, Major M Talha Manan, and Naik Mudassar Fayyaz were on board the Mi-17 helicopter of Army Aviation. Lt Gen Ali was supervising relief operations in Balochistan, which has been hit hard by flash floods triggered by the heavy monsoon rains in the province.
Profile – The martyrs of Balochistan chopper crash
Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, who was commandant at the Command & Staff College in Quetta, had been commissioned in six Azad Kashmir regiments in March 1989 and served the Pakistan Army for 33 years. The Director-General Pakistan Coast Guard Major General Amjad Hanif had been commissioned in 19 Azad Kashmir regiments in April 1994 and served for 29 years in the Pakistan Army.
Commander Engineers 12 Corps Brigadier Muhammad Khalid had been commissioned in the 20 Engineer Battalion in 1994 and served for 29 years in the Pakistan Army. Major Saeed Ahmed was the pilot while Major Muhammad Talha Manan was the co-pilot. Naik Mudassir Fayyaz, the chief of the crew, was also on board and embraced martyrdom.
Maj Gen Amjad Hanif was the Director General of the Pakistan Coast Guard. A native of Rawalakot, AJK, he was commissioned in the 19 Azad Kashmir Regiment in April 1994 and served for 29 years in Pakistan Army. He is survived by one daughter and two sons.
Brig Khalid was Commander Engineers 12 Corps. He ensured clearance of landmines and other such improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the erstwhile tribal regions during Operation Zarb-e-Azan. Being from the Corps of Engineers, he was now leading the entire rescue and relief operation in flood-hit Balochistan.
Among other crew was Major Saeed Ahmed (Pilot), who is survived by his wife, one son, and one daughter, who belonged to the Larkana district of Sindh. Major Muhammad Talha Manan (Co-Pilot) has left behind his wife and two sons. Crew Chief Naik Mudassir Fayyaz was also a married man belonging to the Narowal district.
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