Families of Airblue crash victims form group

KARACHI: The families, friends and loved ones of the people who died in the Airblue plane crash have formed the ‘Airblue Crash Affectees Group’, said a press release on Thursday.

The group aims to provide a platform for all affected families to gather and raise their concerns and to share their pain. They also aim to urge the government, Airblue, Airbus and the Civil Aviation Authority to clearly identify the causes of the crash in the most transparent manner.

Members of the group will also highlight the atrocious experience they went through due to the lack of coordination on the part of both the authorities and Airblue, in terms of managing the crisis and handling the families during such a tough time.

The Airblue plane crashed into the Margalla Hills on the morning of July 28, killing all 152 people on board.

A number of families lost their sole breadwinners in the tragedy. The group will stand up for the rights of the aggrieved families and ensure that they are adequately compensated as per international laws and precedents. The group will also lobby for the formation of an independent judicial commission to study the aftermath of the disaster and design standard operating procedures for dealing with any such disasters in future.

The group is also forming a benevolent fund to provide short- and long-term assistance to deserving families. The families and friends of such victims can contact the office of the Airblue Crash Affectees Group in Karachi for legal advice.

Junaid Hamid, who lost his wife, will be the convener of the Airblue Crash Affectees Group. The secretariat of the Airblue Crash Affectees Group has been established at 29-C, Sunset Commercial Street No. 1, Phase IV, DHA, Karachi 75500. The website is www.acag.com.pk, the telephone number is [phone] and the email: [e-mail]. press release

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2010.