Helicopter crash: Pak Army condemns ‘regretful social media campaign’

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general Major General Babar Iftikhar on Friday categorically rejected “false propaganda and insensitive comments that flooded social media” regarding military aviation chopper's crash in Balochistan.

Six officials, including the Quetta corps commander, were martyred in the helicopter crash during flood relief efforts in Balochistan.

Speaking at a local news channel, Iftikhar said the way this happened on social media, we have to look into this and reject such elements involved in it.

“We can do this collectively. That’s why we issued a press release as it was important to highlight this matter. This has to be condemned at every level.”

The general made these remarks in the wake of “deeply insensitive” comments on social media, saying these hurt the sentiments of the heirs of martyrs of the helicopter crash.

The ISPR DG said his department also issued a press statement earlier in the day rejecting “false propaganda and insensitive comments by certain elements following the helicopter crash”.

In its statement, the ISPR had noted that the “regretful social media campaign after unfortunate helicopter crash on Aug 1 has caused deep anguish and distress among Shuhada families and Rank & File of the Armed Forces”.

It asserted that the whole nation stood with the institution “in this difficult time certain insensitive quarters resorted to hurtful and derogatory comments on social media which is unacceptable and highly condemnable”.

In his talk with the TV channel, the DG ISPR said there was “extreme anguish and pain” in the ranks of the army and aggrieved families about the “insensitive” comments on social media.

“We can tackle such propaganda collectively and this has to be condemned at every level.”

Maj Gen Iftikhar said the forces were in grief as “we had been going through a tough time involving this tragedy, hence we issued a statement today.”

To a question about the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the DG ISPR said there was no question of Pakistan soil being used for “such a purpose”.

He said the Foreign Office had clarified it in detail, adding the rumours were all over there as anybody could write anything on social media. "We should avoid this."

"Our enemy, in particular, feeds such information to and they (people) get exploited,” the military spokesperson said.