Musharraf’s Escort
Helicopter Crashes
An
escort helicopter of Pakistani President, Mr. Pervez Musharraf
has crashed on its way to Kashmir to mark the second anniversary
of an earthquake in the area.
According to the Pakistani military, the president was unhurt
and continued on his journey to the region in another
helicopter.
Causalities
A Pakistani army spokesman, Major General Waheed Arshad, said
four Pakistani soldiers were killed in the helicopter crash but
that there was no attack on the aircraft.
A retired Major General, Rashid Qureshi was injured in the
crash.
The helicopter was said to be one of three taking President
Musharraf and others to Muzaffarabad northeast of the capital,
Islamabad, for quake commemorations.
Security was tight in Muzaffarabad on Monday, restricting
residents' movement around the city in anticipation of the
visit.
Helicopter accidents are not uncommon in the rugged Kashmir
region, but the crash came at a sensitive time.
Political Logjam
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, swept a presidential
election by lawmakers on Saturday that was boycotted by most of
the opposition because he contested the vote while still army
chief. Musharraf has to wait for a Supreme Court ruling on his
eligibility to find out whether or not he will rule for a new
five-year term.
Musharraf had promised to quit the military and restore civilian
rule before beginning the new term.
His nominated successor, General Ashfaq Kayani, was promoted on
Monday, to the post of Vice Chief of the army and is to take the
top job as soon as Musharraf vacates office.
AP/BBC/QA/MIA
