Foreign Office said here on Saturday that the remains of the ambassadors of Norway and Philippines and wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian envoys were air-lifted from Naltar to Rawalpindi for onward transportation to their respective countries. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "Final decision for the transportation of the mortal remains to their respective countries will be taken after consultation with the families and officials of the concerned embassies and after completion of all formalities."
Earlier, a guard of honor was presented to the bodies of the envoys, wives of the diplomats and injured persons at the Chaklala's Noor Khan Airbase. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashad Mahmoud, the three services chiefs, diplomats, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and other high ranking officials were present on the occasion.
Giving updates of the Friday tragic helicopter crash in Gilgit's Naltar Valley, FO spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said that the injured ambassadors of Indonesia, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Poland were transported back by special C-130 plane while the rest of the group of diplomats, who had gone to Gilgit, also returned safely to Rawalpindi on Saturday morning. He said that the mortal remains of the deceased have been placed in the morgue of CMH, Rawalpindi, while the Ambassadors of Indonesia and Netherlands are undergoing treatment at the Special Burns Unit in Kharian. The remaining injured people are also under treatment at CMH Rawalpindi.
The spokesperson said that a delegation from the Philippines, headed by the Under Secretary of Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the spouse and son of the late ambassador and a delegation from Malaysia, comprising senior officials and daughter of the Malaysian Ambassador, would be arriving here tonight (Saturday night). The widow of the Norwegian Ambassador and a delegation from Indonesia is also expected to arrive shortly, he added. Two diplomats of Norway and Philippines, wives of ambassador of Indonesia and High Commissioner of Malaysia, two young officers of Pakistan Army, Major Altamash and Major Faisal, and Subedar Zakir lost their lives when a military helicopter crashed into Gilgit's Naltar Valley on Friday morning. Briefing media persons about the tragic incident, Foreign Secretary, on Friday, ruled out possibility of any terror incident, saying that the incident took place due to some technical fault. Meanwhile, funeral prayers of martyred pilots Maj Altamash, Maj Faisal and chief technician Zakir were held in Gilgit and their bodies were shifted to CMH Rawalpindi.
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