PIA flight PK-661 (ATR-42)aircraft plane crashes near Havelian All 48 passengers dead Pakistani pop icon Junaid Jamshed also dies in plane crash
7 Dec: ISLAMABAD: PIA Chairman AzamSaigol while confirming there were no survivors of the tragic plane crash said the aircraft was ‘fit to fly’. PIA chairman AzamSaigol said the nine-year-old plane was deemed to be “technically sound” when it last underwent a detailed inspection in October. “Our focus now is to retrieve all the dead bodies,” he added, vowing a full investigation into Flight PK661. Speaking at a news conference here, AzamSaigol said the PIA has 11 ATR aircraft in its fleet and they all have been ‘reliable’.”The plane which crashed on Wednesday was A-checked in October,” he said in response to rumours about technical issues with the aircraft, adding that this certification is conducted after every 500 hours of flying.”There is no room of human error regarding fitness certification of the plane, however, the incident will be probed thoroughly,” the PIA chairman assured, hinting at assistance by international agencies in the investigations. Saigol said “it was our plane and our passengers”, yet contending the air travel was still the safest means of transportation. “We will ascertain the causes of the crash and will inform you,” he told anxious newsmen. “This, however, should not be expected from the PIA that it would fly unfit jets,” he added. According to Civil Aviation Authority officials, the ATR-42 turboprop plane with 48 passengers went missing from the radar near the town of Havelian in Abbottabad district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while it was on its way to Islamabad. The ill-fated plane crashed at around 4:42 pm PST including Male – 31, Female – 9, Infants – 2.
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Brief Profile of Junaid Jamshed Khan:-
Junaid Jamshed Khan was a Pakistani recording artist, television personality, fashion designer, occasional actor, singer-songwriter, preacher and televangelist. After graduating with a degree in engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (Lahore), Jamshed briefly worked as a civilian contractor and engineer for the Pakistan Air Force before focusing on a musical career. Jamshed first gained nationwide prominence and international recognition as group ‘Vital Signs’ vocalist in 1987 with the album, Vital Signs 1. It included the singles “Dil Dil Pakistan”, and “Tum Mil Gaye”. The commercial success of Vital Signs’ first album helped develop Pakistan’s rock music industry. In November 2014, Jamshed was accused of blasphemy and in December 2014, in a video message, he apologized for offending people and making mistakes. Junaid Jamshed and his second wife died on 7 December 2016 when PIA Flight 661 crashed in Havelian. The flight was enroute to Islamabad from Chitral. He was in Chitral for a Tablighi Jamaat mission and was returning to Islamabad.
JunaidJamshed buried at the graveyard of DarulUloomKorangi, Karachi a prestigious seminary on 15 Dec, 2016.