Director General (DG) ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistani forces on Friday strongly condemned “false propaganda and insensitive comments that erupted on social media” after six senior army officials were killed in a chopper crash in Balochistan.
While talking to a Pakistani news channel, the DG ISPR, General Babar Iftikhar said “the way this happens on social media, we have to look into this and reject such elements involved in it.”
The remarks from the military spokesperson come in the wake of “deeply insensitive” comments on social media, which Maj-Gen Iftikhar said hurt the sentiments of the families of the chopper crash victims. The ISPR stated that the “regretful social media campaign after unfortunate helicopter crash on Aug 1 has caused deep anguish and distress among the families of the slain officials, as well as the Rank and File of the Armed Forces”.
The wreckage of the Pakistan Army helicopter that went missing in Balochistan on the night of Aug 1 was found near Musa Goth in the Lasbela district a day later. All six army officials onboard were killed including the Commander XII Corps Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali and Coast Guard Director General Brigadier Amjad Hanif Satti. The ISPR confirmed the news saying that the chopper was on a “flood relief operation” when it lost contact with the Air Traffic Control somewhere in Lasbela, Balochistan.
It is to be mentioned that the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella organization of four Baloch pro-independence armed groups, claimed in a media statement that its fighters had shot down the military chopper. The group said that its fighters were patrolling the mountains in the Musa Goth region when they spotted the slow, low-flying chopper. They shot the chopper down and six army officers on board were killed.
The helicopter crash is still shrouded in mystery – the ISPR attributed the crash to “bad weather”. But the sources on the ground and the meteorological data confirmed that the weather that night was moderate – 10-15 mph winds with almost 10% precipitation. `while on the other hand, the BRAS claimed responsibility for downing the chopper. The group has previously carried out massive attacks on Pakistan military forces in Balochistan.