KP govt to buy new helicopter after Bajaur crash

(Web Desk): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to purchase a new helicopter to replace the one that recently crashed.

Chief Secretary KP Shahab Ali Shah confirmed the decision, stating that a helicopter is essential for tasks including natural disaster response and other administrative operations. He noted that after the crash in Mohmand, the government was left with only one helicopter, which prompted the move to acquire another.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur stated that the helicopter crew sacrificed their lives for others and called them the "true heroes" whose sacrifices will be remembered in golden words.

He also announced that the provincial government has approved a special compensation package for the families of the martyrs and assured that the families will not be left alone.

Sources indicate that the families of the helicopter crash victims will receive the same compensation package as that of police martyrs. According to official sources, all five members of the helicopter crew were contract employees.

The families of the two pilots who were martyred in the crash—Retired Colonel Shahid Sultan and Aftab—will each receive a compensation package equal to that of a Grade-19 police officer, amounting to Rs20 million each.

The family of Flight Engineer Saleem will be given Rs15 million, while the families of the two crew chiefs will each receive Rs10 million.

It is worth noting that on August 15, a government helicopter belonging to the KP administration crashed during a relief operation in Bajaur, resulting in the deaths of five individuals.