ISLAMABAD, 9 October 2007 — Three members of Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s security detail and a PTV cameraman were killed and the president’s media adviser, Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi, was badly injured when their MI-17 helicopter crashed at Garhi Habibullah yesterday. The chopper was part of an escort for Musharraf who was flying to Kashmir to attend ceremonies commemorating a devastating earthquake that struck the region two years ago. Musharraf was unhurt and he attended the ceremonies as scheduled.
The stricken helicopter, carrying a dozen people, was one of two following Musharraf’s. “It took off after President Musharraf left,” army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said. “The president is safe and sound. He has reached his destination.”
“The engine backed up and because of that it immediately went down,” Arshad said. “The pilot made a crash landing. Once he did that, the rear portion of the helicopter caught fire.”
Arshad said there would be an inquiry, but he doubted whether the helicopter had been sabotaged or attacked, as in that event it would have probably exploded in the air.
Officials said the fatalities included Pakistan Television cameraman Farooq Ahmad, a military intelligence brigadier and two commandos. The president’s spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, suffered a burned right hand but was in stable condition, they said. The helicopter went down near a village 20 km south of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir.
Meanwhile, at least 65 pro-Taleban militants and 25 soldiers were killed in new clashes in North Waziristan yesterday. An equal number of militants and 20 soldiers were killed in battles in the tribal region on the Afghan border on Saturday and Sunday.
Maj. Gen. Arshad said there had been more fighting in the region yesterday. The clashes took place near the town of Mir Ali.
— Additional input from agencies
