Pakistan - in the line of disaster

During the last few days, the country has been through almost all kinds of man-made and natural disasters.

As if target killing on the streets of Karachi in the name of ethnic, political or personal rivalries; the so-called military operation in the northern areas to wipe off the militants form the land of pure was not enough for the nation, nature unleashed at its worst upon the nation.

On Wednesday 28th July, a Pakistani Airbus passenger plane of Airblue crashed in densely wooded Margalla hills of the capital Islamabad, killing up to 152 people on board.

Pakistani government declared Thursday a day of mourning and on that day when the nation was offering silent prayers to the 152 ill-fated passengers of the Airblue flight ABQ-202, nature played havoc upon us, heavy rain and floods.

Timeline of major Pakistani air crashes

Following is a chronology of major air crashes in Pakistan or involving Pakistani planes:

May 20, 1965: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 707 crashes on its inaugural flight while attempting to land at Cairo airport, killing 124 people.

August 6, 1970: A PIA Fokker F27 turboprop aircraft crashes while attempting to take off from Islamabad in a thunderstorm, killing all 30 people on board.

December 8, 1972: A PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. All 26 people on board are killed.

November 26, 1979: A PIA Boeing 707 bringing home Pakistani Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia crashes shortly after take-off from Jeddah airport, killing 156 people.

October 23, 1986: A PIA Fokker F27 crashes while coming in to land in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing 13 of the 54 people on board.

August 17, 1988: A US-made Hercules C-130 military aircraft crashes near Pakistan's eastern city of Bahawalpur, killing military ruler General Mohammad Zia ul Haq and 30 others including Pakistani generals and the US ambassador.

August 25, 1989: A PIA Fokker carrying 54 people disappears after leaving Gilgit in northern Pakistan. The wreckage is never found.

September 28, 1992: A PIA Airbus A300 crashes into a cloud-covered hillside on approach to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu after the plane descended too early, killing 167 people.

February 19, 2003: An air force Fokker F27 crashes in fog-shrouded mountains near the northwestern city of Kohat, killing air force chief Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali, his wife and 15 others.

February 24, 2003: A chartered Cessna 402-B carrying Afghan Mines and Industries Minister Juma Mohammad Mohammadi, four Afghan officials, a Chinese mining executive and two Pakistani crew crashes into the Arabian Sea near the southern city of Karachi.

July 10, 2006: A PIA Fokker F27 bound for Lahore crashes into a field and bursts into flames shortly after takeoff from the central city of Multan, killing 41 passengers and four crew.

July 28, 2010: An Airblue Airbus 321 flying from Karachi crashes into hills outside Islamabad while preparing to land, killing everyone on board. Civil aviation authorities say 152 people were on board while police put the number at 149.

No survivors in Margalla plane crash

Fact box of ABQ-202 :

• Contact no. of Crisis Management Cell 051-9211223-4.

• At least 152 people were on board the ABQ-202

• No survivors from the crash sight.

• It is believed that the plane had its landing gear out before it crashed.

• Bad weather most likely to be the cause of the crash.

• 6 members of youth parliament were also on board.

• CAA team has recovered the black box from the crash site.

• Plane’s wreckage scattered over 400 sq. meters.

• No technical fault reported in passenger plane.

• Search effort is being hampered by muddy conditions and smoldering wreckage.

Embracing long awaited victory

Finally the long, long wait of Pakistan for a Test victory over Australia came to an end as Pakistan overwhelmed mighty Australia by three wickets to achieve historic victory at Headingley ground on Saturday.
Cricket fans all across the country took to the streets in Pakistan to celebrate their side’s first Test victory over Australia in 15 years, after a tense fourth-day finish at Headingley.

Salman Butt is being praised by all for as he made a winning start as captain and became the eighth Pakistani captain after Fazal Mahmood, Mushtaq Mohammed, Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis, Salim Malik, Ramiz Raja and Mohammed Yousuf to win his maiden Test match as captain.

General Kayani to stay on till 2013

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced on Thursday that General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will be military chief till 2013.

PM made the announcement in a three-minute televised address to the nation in which he showered praise on Kayani and termed him a respected person both nationally and internationally.

Gilani said that Kayani’s extension was necessary for continuity in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism and said,
“He was a key designer of the strategy for the war on terror and it is progressing well under him. The war is going through a critical stage… continuity is needed at the moment and we are sure that the war on terror, under Kayani, will reach its logical conclusion successfully.”