Layyah chopper crash: Five-member committee to probe incident

MULTAN:

A five-member committee has been constituted to probe the helicopter crash that killed Major General Muhammad Nawaz, DG rangers Punjab.

The committee will be headed by AVN Riazul Haq, deputy director general Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Other members include DPO Layyah Saleem Chaudary and members from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Punjab Rangers and the army which will present its report in due course. According to sources, the committee will present its report to the higher authorities in 10 days.

Investigations, according to the sources, have revealed that the helicopter crash was a result of bad weather which caused technical failure in the helicopter.

Earlier, it was assumed that the crash may have been a result of terrorist activity, as Major General Nawaz was on a monitoring visit for possible action against banned militant organisations and the Taliban in southern Punjab, sources said.

“We have found no clues hinting at terrorist activity in this crash,” said Lt Gen Shafqaat Ahmed, Corps Commander Multan during initial investigations.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2011.