The chopper crash tragedy in Balochistan’s Lasbela District has saddened the nation. Six high-profile military officials, including Commander 12 Corps Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, who was supervising relief operations in the flood-hit province, were on board, when the ill-fated copter crashed due to bad weather, as per initial investigations.
The tragedy is a fresh addition to the death toll due to unusually heavy monsoon rains. Scores of people have already been killed and hundreds of homes have been swept away in Balochistan, where the army rescue operation has been in progress for weeks now. The death of military officers is a great tragedy. Sacrifices offered by the Pakistan army during the need of the hour are exceptional. They have kept the tradition alive of remaining in the forefront during relief operations whenever a disaster hit the country. This year too when torrential rains lashed most areas of the country, military personnel and equipment, including helicopters, were engaged in relief operations in the flood-hit districts of Balochistan.
The whole of Pakistan stands by the victims of the tragedy and mourns the precious lives lost in the incident. The incident is a serious setback to the relief operation, yet it will not stop the army from performing the sacred task of rescuing those who have become a victim of natural disasters. It was an accident and a tragic one caused by equipment failure. The difficulty in carrying out rescue operations in such a remote and hilly place is itself a great challenge. The Pakistan government needs to reward the officials who were martyred during the relief operation and console their families with due compensation. No doubt it is a big tragedy that is going to be remembered for years. We express heartfelt condolences over the death of these military officers, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
