THE fatal crash of the Airblue passenger jet killing all 152 on board in Margalla Hills of Islamabad on Wednesday is a grievous loss to the entire nation. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be known, as the blackbox is still missing but aviation officials believe that cloudy weather was the likely cause. Also the eyewitnesses have confirmed that there were thick clouds on the site before the tragedy occurred and that the plane had lost balance while flying through them. This definitely calls into question our civil aviations ability to ensure safety of air traffic control, especially in bad weather. Also the question needs to be asked why the weather forecast broadcast earlier across the country was not taken seriously. There was simply no point in flying the aircraft to Islamabad when the atmosphere there was so menacing. At the same time, rescue operations were in a shambles. Though, it is officially stated that various agencies including the Rescue Services, along with the Army, Navy and Air Force were sent to the crash site, the delayed response speaks a lot about the laidback attitude of government agencies in Pakistan. True, the accident occurred in the middle of hills, which made the site difficult to access, but a committed and efficient response for instance with the help of helicopters should have overcome this impediment. As it was, it was students and private volunteers who literally carried bodies down on foot according to eye witnesses and some of the volunteers. Finally, the deadly crash also underscores the need for better maintenance and aviation safety mechanism on the part of the airline. One of the airlines aircraft had a small accident back in 2008 in Quetta. Moreover, the passengers must also be on their guard and especially all the more so given the general lethargy plaguing virtually every government department. The tragic loss of life in Islamabad might not have occurred had the aviation authorities been more alert. The probe would do well to find out why the airplane was allowed to get airborne in such dang-erous weather conditions. Meanwhile the nation mourns its dead.