Rawalpindi - Police failed in tracing the man who made a hoax call to Recue 1122 on evening of March 22 saying a plane had crashed near Mera Singahal at Kallar Syedan.
Besides police and the officials of other law enforcement agencies, the Rescue 1122 moved fire fighting vehicles from their stations at Kallar Syedan, Gujar Khan, and Rawalpindi. The rescuers extinguished the fire but found no traces of plane crash.
Rescue 1122 through Haris Farooq, Station Coordinator at Kallar Syedan, lodged the FIR with the police saying a man identifying himself as Raja Muhammad Ismail Zaman made a call at about 8pm and said that a plane had crashed near his village.
The complainant told the police that the fire fighting vehicles had to pass through difficult terrains to reach at the spot where huge bush fire was witnessed.
He said that the efforts of the rescuers cost a lot of money and the vehicles were damaged as they received fake call about a plane crash.
Kallar Syedan police lodged the FIR under section 25-D of Telegraphic Act (providing false information) and Section 427 of Pakistan Penal code (committing mischief causing damage to public property).
SI Raja Ghulam Shabbir, the investigation officer of the case told The Nation that the police had so far arrested no one. He added that police was close to make arrest and the accused would soon be arrested.
He said that the caller identified himself and said that he was an eye witness to the crash.
On the other hand, some television channels aired the news of plane crash quoting rescue officials. The PEMRA however had issued notices to as many as nine news channels for airing fake news and creating panic.
The rescue official further said that the spokespersons of the department shared the news with media saying it was not yet confirmed.