Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said his government was using “formal and informal channels” to seek the return of seven passengers of a crashed helicopter Pakistani helicopter who were
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said his government was using “formal and informal channels” to seek the return of seven passengers of a crashed helicopter Pakistani helicopter who were captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“Formal and informal channels are being used to ensure safe recovery of the entire crew,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement from his office.
Pakistan’s Army chief, General Raheel Sharif, called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday to request his country’s help. “Afghan President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard,” tweeted General Asim Bajwa, the Pakistani military’s spokesperson.
A Taliban commander claimed the seven were “in safe hands” with the insurgents.
The Pakistani government helicopter, en route to Russia for a routine overhaul, crash-landed in the Taliban-held Logar province in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday.
Logar province has been increasingly lawless since the launch two years ago of a military operation in neighbouring Pakistani tribal areas pushed many Taliban and allied fighters into Afghanistan. The crew included retired Pakistani military officers and a Russian navigator, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported citing senior local officials. We have launched an investigation into the incident and the government has instructed security forces to spare no efforts to secure the release of the crew members,” the Afghan defence ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Pakistan had sought permission to fly a helicopter, being sent to Russia for overhauling, over Afghan air space.
But it added it was investigating whether the crashed chopper was the one for which permission had been granted. Meanwhile, the government has decided to send a delegation to Afghanistan.
