Former actress Noor Bukhari has paid tribute to Iran’s President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash this week.
Noor Bukhari posted a photo of the late Iranian president on her Instagram account, writing in the caption, “Syed Qurbani de gaya hai … ab khair any waali hai ummah ke liye. Want ke yazeed countdown started” (A Syed has sacrificed himself; now good news is coming for the Muslim Ummah, and the countdown for Yazid has begun.) Raisi’s funeral was held today in his hometown after two days of processions attended by thousands of mourners.
Raisi, 63, died on Sunday alongside his foreign minister and six others when their helicopter crashed in the country’s mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration. His final resting place will be at the holy shrine of Imam Reza, a key Shiite mausoleum in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where the ultra-conservative president was born.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali is being slammed for using a state helicopter along with his family and friends from the trader community during a recent visit to Swat, as per a report from Geo News.
A video of the Governor with his grandsons and acquaintances boarding the chopper went viral on social media.
In the past, the Governor had not signed a bill for blocking unnecessary usage of the state helicopter.
It is not the first time that this has happened. During the governor’s visit to Bajaur in August , he was seen travelling with minor children, reported to be his grandsons.
It should also be mentioned that the Governor had a disagreement with the former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, over the unnecessary use of the state helicopter.
The previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), faced significant backlash for utilising state helicopters on what were perceived as unnecessary trips. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan received widespread criticism when he claimed that helicopter outings incurred minimal expenses.
A number of social media users claimed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had enacted special legislation allowing for the use of government aircraft by private individuals, but it wasn’t clear whether the information was legit until Geo Fact Check verified it.
Several Twitter users, on November 14, tweeted that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was implementing new regulations to permit Imran Khan, a former prime minister who is currently out of power, to continue using the official chopper.
It turns out that the rumours making the rounds on social media are true.
A bill to alter the 1975 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act has been drafted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The amended bill is named The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Second Amendment) Act 2022.
According to the proposed legislation, a new section will be added to the original law, which reads:
The chief minister may allow a minister, advisor or special assistant to the chief minister, public servant or government servant to use an aircraft or helicopter of the government at government expense.
Any official aircraft or helicopter, subject to availability and with prior approval of the chief minister, can be used for private purposes, on payment of charges at the rate determined by the government from time to time.
The bill, a copy of which is available at Geo Fact Check, also states that individuals who have been given permission by the chief minister to use an aircraft may bring along as many assistants, support workers, and other people.
In an attempt to promote tourism in the area, President Dr Arif Alvi has announced commercial helicopter flying operations of Kashmir Air in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The president stated that AJK is gifted with enormous natural beauty and tourist potential and that the business sector should step forward to enhance AJK’s tourism industry in order to realise its full potential. The president was speaking at the inauguration ceremony for Kashmir Air on Tuesday in Bagh.
According to Samaa, a private firm called Kashmir Air will launch regular commercial helicopter flights to the AJK and other parts of northern Pakistan to transport visitors.
The president spent a full day in AJK, where he opened the helicopter flight service, paid a visit to the flagship facility of a healthcare IT business in Bagh, inaugurated a high-end private school, and learned about plans to build a hospital in Abbaspur.
Along with developing tourism-friendly regulations to encourage private-sector investment, President Alvi asked the AJK government to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable tourism.
He stated that tourism was now a major industry in many developing nations and was seen as a key driver of foreign exchange earnings, employment creation, and the elimination of economic inequalities.
The president claimed that the UN had failed to settle the Jammu and Kashmir conflict in a manner that satisfied the demands of the Kashmiri people.
He claimed that the UN resolutions serve as the foundation for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) resistance. He said that although the UN was established to prevent conflicts and wars, since its founding it has mostly served to advance the interests of western nations.
“Genocide Watch has warned that Muslims and other minorities in India are insecure but nobody is coming forwards to listen to the minorities and Muslims of India who are under constant threat,” the president added.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to resolve all of its disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir, through dialogue. Pakistan desires a peaceful resolution to the IIOJK, but the president has cautioned India not to see Pakistan’s peace efforts as a sign of weakness.
He claimed that the IIOJK people had made immeasurable sacrifices and that Pakistan will continue to stand with them morally, politically, and diplomatically until they were granted the right to self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions.
The wreckage of a Pakistan Army aviation helicopter that went missing in Balochistan yesterday has been found and all six Pakistan Army personnel on board have embraced martyrdom, confirmed the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today. A Pakistan Army aviation helicopter on a flood relief operation in Lasbela, Balochistan, went missing on Monday at 5:30pm when it lost contact with the air traffic control (ATC).
“Accident occurred due to bad weather as per initial investigations,” said the ISPR statement.
The wreckage of unfortunate hel which was on flood relief ops found in Musa Goth, Windar, Lasbela. All 6 offrs & sldrs incl Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali embraced shahadat. اِنّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ Accident occurred due to bad weather as per initial investigations . DTF pic.twitter.com/dnyano2vqC
‘Will remain eternally indebted to these sons of soil‘: PM Shehbaz Sharif
Following the news, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of six army personnel.
“Nation is deeply grieved on the martyrdom of Lt. General Sarfraz Ali & 5 other officers of Pakistan Army. They were doing a sacred duty of providing relief to flood affectees. Will remain eternally indebted to these sons of soil.”
Nation is deeply grieved on the martyrdom of Lt. General Sarfraz Ali & 5 other officers of Pakistan Army. They were doing a sacred duty of providing relief to flood affectees. Will remain eternally indebted to these sons of soil. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families!
About Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali who lost his life, PM Shehbaz said that “he was an excellent professional, dutiful and capable officer, very honest and a good human being”.
PM Shehbaz extended his condolences to the bereaved families of the six martyrs.
Martyrs who lost their lives while serving Pakistan
Commander XII Corps Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali
Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali was supervising the flood relief operations in Balochistan when the helicopter crashed yesterday. In 2020, Gen Sarfraz Ali, who was serving as a Major-General, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General. Following his promotion, he was posted as the Corps Commander of XII Corps, which is also known as the Southern Command, in 2021.
General Sarfraz was one of the contenders interviewed by former prime minister Imran Khan for the post of director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in October last year.
Before his posting to the Quetta Corps, he served as the inspector general of the Frontier Corps in South Balochistan He had also served as defence attache at the Pakistani embassy in the United States (US).
Brigadier Amjad Hanif
Pakistan Coast Guard Director General Brigadier Amjad Hanif Satti was also on board.
Brigadier Muhummad Khalid
Brig Muhummad Khalid was also accompanying the army officers.
Major Saeed Ahmed
Major Syed was the pilot of the helicopter.
Major M. Talha Manan
Major Talha Manan was the co-pilot of the helicopter.
Naik Mudassir Fayyaz
Naik Mudassir embraced martyrdom along with others.
PM Shehbaz telephonic conversation with COAS Gen Bajwa
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern over the then-missing Pakistan Army aviation helicopter during his telephonic conversation with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Sunday arrived in Murree to review the rescue operation in the area after at least 22 people died in their snow-trapped cars.
The CM’s visit received a lot of criticism as he did an ‘aerial survey’ of Murree. CM Buzdar arrived in his helicopter and overlooked the snow-covered area.
Journalist Sumaira Khan took to Twitter and shared a video where CM Buzdar can be seen travelling in the helicopter and overlooking Murree.
افسوس صد افسوس۔۔۔کیا زمین پر جا کر جائزہ نہیں لِیا جا سکتا تھا بزدار صاحب۔۔۔! آپ سیاستدان لوگوں کے سینے میں واقعی دِل صرف اپنی اولادوں کیلیئے ہے شائد۔ اِس فضائی جائزے جو بھی آپ اپنی تفریح ہی سمجھ لیجئے اور تو اِسکا کوئی فائدہ نہیں دِکھا مجھے۔#Murreepic.twitter.com/xxtMydQikf
ہونا تو ایسے چاہئے تھا کہ یوم اول سے یعنی ابتداے سانحہ سے لیکر وزیر اعلی محترم مقام سانحہ میں موجود ہوکر تمام صورتحال کا جائزہ لیتے،لیکن نہیں،جہاں وزرا کے چہروں پہ سانحہ کے بعد مسکراہٹوں کی چمک دمک ہو،وہاں ایسے ہی رویے دیکھنے کو ملتے ہیں۔ کاش! وطن عزیز کو قائد سا کوئی لیڈر ملے۔ https://t.co/PYhb3qs0qY
Theatrics of @UsmanAKBuzdar, we have seen these SHODAYBAZIAN enough since @CMShehbaz. Waste of time & resources. There’s one more old-timer sitting in front of him @RajaBasharatLAW this LEACH is a minister since Zia-Ulhazq’s time in one way or the other. https://t.co/w3b7rdmN0Q
I’m just wondering if an rescue operation was carried out via air or the weather was only good for Mr Buzdar’s visit but not for rescue? https://t.co/h4jhjU5nYo
An Indian Army helicopter with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and other senior Indian defence officials on board crashed in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor on Wednesday.
“An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu,” confirmed the Indian Air Force official Twitter account.
An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Indian news agency ANI tweeted about the crash, saying that 14 people in total were on board the chopper, including the Indian defence assistant, IAF pilots and security commandos.
A total of 14 people including Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife, Defence Assistant, security commandos and IAF pilots were on board the chopper: Sources
The latest visuals shared from the place of the crash clearly show the amount of damage done to the crash.
#WATCH | Latest visuals from the spot (between Coimbatore and Sulur) where a military chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu. CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his staff and some family members were in the chopper.
Helicopters sent to rescue three mountaineers stranded on the Rakaposhi mountain of the Karakoram mountain range arrived in Hunza on Sunday and an operation to bring them back is underway, Geo News reported.
As per reports, the three mountaineers include a Pakistani climber Wajidullah Nagri and Czech Republic mountaineers Jakub Vicek and Peter Macek.
According to Deputy Commissioner Nagar Zulqarnain Khan, two helicopters arrived in Nagar for rescue operations. He said that the rescue team is in contact with the climbers, who are doing fine.
The DC added that it will be difficult for a helicopter to go up to a height of 6,900 metres, where the climbers had been stuck, so they have been asked to descend.
Rescue efforts on the ground are also underway, he said.
The three mountaineers, two of whom belong to the Czech Republic, had summitted Rakaposhi on September 8, according to the Karakoram Club.
#MissionRakaposhiTeam Rakaposhi led by Wajid Ullah Nagari has summited #Rakaposhi just a while back. In the process Wajid Ullah Nagari has become the second Pakistani after Col. Sher Khan (he did it in 1979) to stand atop the 7788m tall peak! ♥️ pic.twitter.com/Jv3pZF5LLZ
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s helicopter made an emergency landing in Lahore due to strong wind on Thursday evening.
Buzdar and his staff members who were travelling from Islamabad to Lahore, remained safe.
The chief minister’s helicopter was scheduled to land at Lahore old airport but the wind forced the pilot to divert and land at the Railway Stadium in Garhi Shahu. Buzdar had gone to Islamabad on Wednesday to attend meetings chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
An Indian farmer and entrepreneur from Maharashtra has bought a helicopter to increase his dairy business.
Janardhan Bhoir recently proceed into the dairy business and decided to invest in a helicopter worth Rs 65,636,511
According to details, Janardhan said he often has to travel to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat due to his dairy business.
He bought the helicopter on a friend’s suggestion because not all the ciites in India have airports so he had to travel for long hours to reach his destination.
He also offered a ride in his helicopter to his village panchayat members.
He has made arrangements to build a helipad with a protective wall on a 2.5-acre land. There will also be a garage for the helicopter, a pilot room and a technician room.
The helicopter will be delivered to him on March 15. The rich farmer who has property worth Rs 100 crore also runs a real-estate business.
