May 09 , 2015
News
It wasn’t a terror attack: Kh Asif
By Ijaz KakakhelISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday claimed that the helicopter carrying 11 foreigners and six Pakistanis had crashed due to a technical fault, and that it was not a case of terrorism. Presenting the preliminary report on the chopper crash, he dispelled the rumours of terrorism, however, he said further investigations were underway and the nation would be informed about the facts. He said the helicopter caught fire after it had hit the ground. In his statement, Khawaja Asif paid tribute to the two martyred pilots of the Pakistan Army and said that the nation stands with the family of the martyred in their time of grieve. Meanwhile, Norway expressed “great sadness” over the death of its ambassador to Pakistan in a helicopter crash. Leif Larsen, 61, was “one of our best and most experienced diplomats” who was “very respected by his colleagues,” Foreign Minister Borge Brende told reporters, adding that his Pakistani counterpart had told him the causes of the crash “could not be fully explained yet.” “This will be investigated,” and the Pakistani authorities have already “established an investigation committee,” Brende said. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs announced it was “deeply saddened” by the death of Ambassador Domingo Lucenario Jr, and that his colleagues in Manila observed a two-minute period of silence in commemoration. Lucenario, 54, also served as non-resident ambassador to Afghanistan, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk