ISLAMABAD: The Afg­han government on Friday ordered a security mission for rescuing the crew of a helicopter owned by the Punjab government that crash-landed in Afghanis­tan’s Logar province the previous day.

“The government has launched an investigation and security forces have been ordered to carry out a rescue operation,” the Afghan defence ministry’s spokesman said in Kabul.

He confirmed that the helicopter, which was en route from Lahore to Russia via Uzbekistan, had been permitted to fly through Afghan airspace.

TTP faction claims captivity of hostages, threatens to kill them if attempt is made for their release

Afghan envoy Dr Omar Zakhilwal told Dawn that President Ashraf Ghani had asked troops in the area to try to recover the helicopter and rescue its crew.

The Afghan government’s action followed requests from Islamabad for help.

The Mi-17 helicopter, with seven crew members on board, had crash-landed in Logar on Thursday evening while flying over Afghan airspace. The crew were later taken hostage by militants believed to be Afghan Taliban.

However, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban has clai­med that the crew members are in its captivity and threatened to kill them if any attempt is made by the Afghan or US forces for their release.

“Formal and informal channels are being used to ensure safe recovery of the entire crew,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement issued by his office. He said the government was in contact with the Afghan authorities and state resources were being utilised for rescuing the crew.

Mr Sharif’s statement showed that in addition to contacts with the Afghan authorities, informal channels with the Taliban had also been activated for rescuing the crew.

“We are profoundly concerned about the safety of the whole team that was travelling on the helicopter. … all-out efforts are being made by the federal government and its agencies to guarantee the safe return of each member,” he said.

Earlier, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif spoke to top US and Nato commander in Afghanistan Gen John Nicholson and President Ghani, seeking their help for early recovery of the crew.

“Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in close touch with all relevant authorities in the government of Afghanistan. The Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul is actively pursuing the matter,” the Foreign Office said.

The crew is believed to be held by the Taliban militants.

“Those traveling in the helicopter were taken hostage by the terrorists,” the Afghan defence ministry spokesman said.

Some local Afghan leaders — provincial council chief Dr Abdul Wali Wakil, deputy provincial governor Mohammad Hashim Faizi, governor of Azra district in Logar province Hamidullah Hamid — in media interviews identified the Taliban as the captors.

Separately, there were claims by unidentified Taliban leaders about holding the crew hostage. However, Taliban’s usual spokespersons were uncharacteristically quiet. Nor­mally, Taliban officials promptly accept responsibility for the activity undertaken by the militants. The area where the helicopter crash-landed has strong Taliban presence.

Local authorities in Logar, according to Afghan media, held negotiations with the Taliban for the release of the crew and they were demanding release of militants in exchange.

Sailab Masud adds from Dera Ismail Khan: Senior Taliban leader Qari Saif­ullah Mehsud claimed that the crew members were being held by the Hakeemullah Mehsud group of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and, except for the pilot who suffered injuries, all other passengers were safe and sound.

Qari Saifullah, a key commander and spokesman for Hakeemullah Mehsud group, told Dawn by phone from an undisclosed location that all crew members were in the custody of the group’s commander, Adam Kochi alias Bilal, in Azra district of Logar province.

He claimed that the pilot was injured in shelling by another Pakistani helicopter. “One of our colleagues was killed and two others were injured in the shelling”. He said a video showing the hostages with the Taliban would soon be released to the media.

Qari Saifullah made it clear that it was of no use to seek help from the Afghan government or the US military because the Taliban were in full control of the area.

He warned that the detainees would be executed if Afghan or US forces tried to launch an operation for their release, adding that a message had been conveyed to Adam Kochi to fasten bombs to bodies of the hostages and detonate them in case of any such attempt.

Intikhab Hanif adds from Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday remained busy in contacting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and the Foreign Office, urging them to expedite efforts for safe and early release of the crew members of the helicopter.

The main crew members are former army officers and on the list of personal staff of the chief minister.

The chief minister also met families of three senior members of the crew to show solidarity with them. He was scheduled to meet the family of another crew member in Islamabad on Saturday.

Officials said the government did not know exactly what led to the landing of the chopper. “We know that the crew is safe, but we don’t know whether it was a crash or an emergency landing, and how the chopper was destroyed,” a senior official said.

The officials who control the chief minister’s air transport said the helicopter had not outlived its utility. It was sent for the second overhauling before the completion of another 1,500 flying hours which necessitated such service. The first overhauling was conducted in 2011 and the second was necessary after the completion of 1,500 flying hours.

“This does not mean that the chopper was not airworthy,” a senior official said.

It was, however, the only helicopter the provincial government had. The chief minister’s six-seater Hawker 4000 plane is grounded on technical reasons. And the provincial government is in the process of buying a secondhand or a new 12-seater jet plane for him.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2016