Photo file Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: Court martial against three low-ranking officials of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has begun for their negligence to prevent the terrorist attack on Minhas Airbase at Kamra in 2012, BBC Urdu reported on Tuesday.
Senior aircraftman Shawaiz Khan, senior technician Zafar Iqbal and Corporal Technician Mirza Waseem Iqbal were formally arrested recently in connection with August 16, 2012, terror attack.
A military source earlier told The Express Tribune that the officials were not facing court martial for their involvement in terror attack rather they were indicted over charges of negligence.
Attack
The strategically important airbase came under attack when at least nine militants stormed the base destroying a Saab 2000 surveillance aircraft and killing a security official. All nine militants were later killed in shootout with security forces.
Several squadrons of fighters and surveillance planes are said to be housed at the Minhas base. Over 30 planes were parked at the base, including JF-17 Thunder fighter jets at the time of attack.
The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack saying it was a revenge of May 2011 secret US raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound.
The airbase, located 70 km north of the capital, is a heavily guarded compound with the air force’s Kamra Aeronautical Complex also in its vicinity, where Pakistan assembles and overhauls JF-17 Thunder fighter jets in collaboration with China.
The key strategic installations of PAF and Navy have been the target of militants.
In 2009, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra. Two security officers and six other people were killed in the attack.
In 2011, six Taliban gunmen attacked a naval base in Karachi to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden. At least 10 military personnel were killed and 20 wounded in the 16-hour assault.
COMMENTS (25)
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Asalam o Alikum Dear Fellows...!!! I need your help if anyone know about Aeronautical Engineering in Kamra, then kindly tell me about it. I want to do Aeronautical Engineering. I shall be very thankful to you for your this act of Kindness.
@Umair Ali Rashid: Calling Minhas a naval airbase! Dude, are you high? Minhas is PAF base while Mehran is the naval one.
is this news is right??????can anyone tell me!!!!!!!
is this news is right can anyone answer me????
Unbelieveable ! Air force officers and martial of court you know my aim is also to go in airforce
Un believe able! I can`t believe it. Air force officers.................. you know my aim is also to go in air force!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TTP is basically a bunch of criminals funded by RAW and Afghan intelligence. Plain and simple. They should be removed to Afghanistan along with the 3 m afghans (the later humanely and with dignity)
So who has has been charged with negligence/incompetence for allowing OBL and Meshud to live comfortably within short walk of military bases?
@Faisal: And as for the charge of collusion; that was made by your media, religious parties and defense analysts. Spock just held a mirror to your face :) Also read what Jibran said.
So US killed OBL,but the cowardly TTP wreaks havoc on Pakistan,their own country.And whole Pakistan is in mourning over Mehsud,the no. 1 killer of Pakistanis.Off course,Pakistan was in mourning too for OBL.Hail! Mr.IK!!!
@Faisal: It’s for negligence in failing to defend, not collusion
Who is the imbecile here ? Is it the job of the air force technicians to defend the airbase and are they really trained for it ?
Everything about you, stinks !
@Spock: It's for negligence in failing to defend, not collusion you imbecile.
When are we going to have Moral Courage to call a spade a spade. The world knows that these terrorist are funded by the so called Muslim (Munafiq) States such as the British created workhorse Saudi Arabia and Qatar. There are only two reasons why the Government of Pakistan is quiet about it. 1. They have no power to fight the Saudis 2. 2. They are complicit and are party to the killing of Shia and Sunni Muslims at the hands of these Wahhabi Salafis. 3. If the GOP would not ensure the safety of every citizen of Pakistan, I know that the citizens of Pakistan would rise up and throw the imbeciles/criminals out.
Choice is theirs.
Poor low ranking soldiers. While the top guns roam around in 4x4, have lunches in their mess, jet set around Pakistan on discounted fares, have their kids join big companies, have all the perks set for themselves, get big plots, waste my tax money paid to government, how will they think of having proper security around the bases, The poor low ranking soldiers here always gets to pay.
"..A military source earlier told The Express Tribune that the officials were not facing court martial for their involvement in terror attack rather they were indicted over charges of negligence.."
Lower level officials get charged with negligence and incompetence. However, tfor he most humiliating raid by US navy seals to kill OBL, deep all the way near kakul, Kayani & his useless Kakul commanders get extension/reward for their negligence and incompetence!! How does this help moral of the jawans?
Naval based was attacked 3 valuable planes were destroyed no action taken against the naval chief...GHQ was attacked .Kayani was COAS rewarded with 3 years extension...in Pakistan only low ranking personal are convicted...
@Umair Ali Rashid:
I think that it is you who has mixed up the airbases and their names. Kamra Air Force Base was renamed Minhas in honor of Late Flt. Lt. Rashid Minhas. The only active base of air operations of the Navy is PNS Mehran which shares its space with PAF Base Faisal in Karachi.
I'm confused. Technicians and aircrafsmen are not responsible for the security of the base. How can they be negligent.
@Spock: Including a retired official named Latif, who couldn't agree with Imran Khan more these days. He's hoping for a position within it's ranks in return.
...senior technician Zafar Iqbal and Corporal Technician Mirza Waseem Iqbal were formally arrested recently in connection with August 16, 2012, terror attack...A military source earlier told The Express Tribune that the officials were not facing court martial for their involvement in terror attack rather they were indicted over charges of negligence...
This is quite strange. The Pakistan Armed Forces, and other security forces were not responsible, the police was not responsible, the base commander was not responsible - but the above two technicians were responsible for negligence ? Since when have air force technicians become responsible for security of bases or elsewhere ?
This stinks; it stinks as bad as any report that comes out of Pakistani establishment.