ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday directed that a detailed, independent and transparent inquiry into the unfortunate crash be held by the Safety Investigation Board.
“The inquiry should be completed at the earliest. It is imperative that the truth should be brought out and shared with the people in the shortest possible time,” the Prime Minister said while chairing a meeting to inquire about the circumstances around the unfortunate PIA ATR crash near Havelian on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister also directed that a senior officer from the Air Force should also be co-opted as a member of the Inquiry Committee.
Chairman PIA, Secretary Aviation Division, DG Civil Aviation and CEO PIA briefed the Prime Minister that the flight crew and pilots, in particular, operating the flight were highly experienced and professional with thousands of hours of flying experience behind them.
The deceased Captain had more than 10,000 flying hours to his credit, he said. The Prime Minister was further briefed that the unfortunate aircraft had duly undergone routine and regular maintenance and safety checks, and was declared airworthy in all respects.
Its last inspections were carried out in July and November this year.
Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif directed PIA administration to reach out to the affected families and facilitate them in every way to lessen the burden of their grief.
The Prime Minister was also briefed about the recovery operations and informed that all the bodies had been shifted to Islamabad for DNA analysis.
Obtaining the samples from the relatives and identifying all the deceased could take upto a week, the Prime Minister was told.
The Prime Minister directed that this process should be completed at the earliest.
The meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and other senior government officials.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called Taimoor Jamshed, son of Junaid Jamshed and condoled with him on his father’s death in a PIA plane crash near Havelian on Wednesday. The Prime Minister prayed for the departed soul.
The Prime Minister also called father of Osama Warraich, Deputy Commissioner Chitral and condoled with him on the death of his outstanding son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
The Prime Minister prayed for the departed souls, said a Press release issued by the PM House here.
PM’S COPTER LANDS IN MURREE DUE TO BAD WEATHER
Online adds: Bad weather on Thursday forced the helicopter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to land in Murree en route to Muzaffarabad. Helicopter carrying the prime minister left Islamabad for the AJK capital but soon it landed in Murree due to bad weather, sources said. The prime minister is likely to discuss prevailing situation in Occupied Kashmir, Line of Control and other related issues during his visit to Muzaffarabad.
