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Journalism of Courage
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,several federal ministers and a senior Army General had a narrow escape today when their aircraft made emergency landings in two separate incidents,causing a minor scare.
A special aircraft carrying Gilani and other federal ministers made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from a military airbase in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
The aircraft,which was going to Sukkur in Sindh province,returned to Chaklala airbase shortly after take-off and made an emergency landing as it had developed technical problems,TV news channels quoted officials as saying.
All persons on board the aircraft,including Gilani and Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan,were safe,officials told the media.
The pilot informed the control tower of technical problems and then made the emergency landing,they said.
The exact nature of the technical problems could not be immediately ascertained.
The PM and other ministers were on their way to Sindh to participate in special events to be held tomorrow to mark the death anniversary of President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The delegation left for Sukkur later in a different aircraft.
In the other incident,a senior Pakistan Army general and several other personnel had a narrow escape when a military helicopter made an emergency landing after developing technical problems in the northwestern Mohmand tribal region.
Maj Gen Nadir Zeb,Inspector General of the paramilitary Frontier Corps,and several other personnel were on board the helicopter when it made an emergency landing at the FC Colony in Ghalanai,the main town of Mohmand Agency.
