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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched...

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched from around the sprawling parking lot, the helicopter appeared to drop speed in its flight, flew over some overhead high-tension electric cables, and descended gingerly into the parking lot - raising a thick dust-storm in which it disappeared for seconds - before touching the ground.   Moments later, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) senior leader Bhujbal and others stepped out of the chopper, looked around in the unfamiliar territory before several vehicles and police teams rushed there. Minutes before there was chaos and confusion with some locals shouting warnings at the ‘wrong landing’.   Eyewitnesses said that the chopper’s powerful rotors created a thick dust storm and sparked alarm among the people in the vicinity, and many scrambled to the spot to check what exactly was going on in the parking lot.   Later, the Pune Police said that a designated helipad was available for the chopper landing but were at a loss to explain how the pilot missed it and veered off quite a distance away in the vehicle parking space. Subsequently, they asked the pilot to fly it to the correct landing spot.   Shaken and angry local NCP leaders questioned how a pilot flying a VIP on an official trip could mistake a parking lot for a helipad when the weather and visibility was clear. They demanded to know whether the helipad was improperly marked or it was a question of communication or sheer negligence.   The Pune Police indicated that they would report the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which may take action against the errant pilot and the helicopter company.   “There was no accident. We all emerged safely. The helicopter pilot landed wrongly in a parking lot because the helipad was not visible. All of us are fine and there is nothing to worry,” said Bhujbal, before he was whisked off by his security team.   “There are many faults in numerous airplanes and helicopters, including maintenance issues and other problems. That's why I keep saying consistently that VIPs must exercise caution while flying. Fortunately, an accident was averted today, but that doesn't mean the authorities should be negligent. We expect the government to take urgent precautions.” Rohit R. Pawar, MLA, NCP (SP)

Gunmen attack Pakistan's Jaffar Express in Balochistan, BLA claims hostage crisis

  • PTI
  • Mar 11, 2025
  • 2 min read

Updated: Mar 12, 2025

Several injured as armed men halt train; BLA claims it has seized control, warns of executions if military intervenes 


Jaffar Express

cKarachi: Several passengers were injured when gunmen attacked a train in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan on Tuesday, prompting the provincial government to direct authorities to take "emergency measures".

"There are reports of intense firing at a Jaffar Express, which was heading from Quetta to Peshawar, between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar,” Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed that it seized control of the train by derailing it, killed six security personnel and took over 100 passengers, including active duty personnel, into custody. However, there was no independent confirmation of their claim.


In a statement, the BLA warned that if Pakistan military launches an operation, "all hostages will be executed". The group is banned in Pakistan, the UK and the US.


Official data on casualties was not available, but security sources said that the train driver and several passengers were injured in the gunfire.

Rescue teams and security forces have reached the scene, and an operation is underway to track down the assailants. Emergency was declared in the local hospitals.


Railway officials confirmed that the train's driver sustained serious injuries, and an emergency relief train has been dispatched to assist.


Meanwhile, Controller Railways Muhammad Kashif said that the train, comprising nine coaches, had around 500 passengers on board.

“The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8,” the controller said.

There are 17 tunnels in this area on the railway line and due to the difficult terrain, the speed of the train is often slow.

The Balochistan government directed local authorities to take ‘emergency measures’.


A provincial government statement said an emergency was imposed at Sibi hospital and ambulances and security forces were on their way to the site.

In the past, the railway tracks in this area have been attacked by Baloch militants by using rockets or remote-controlled bombs and the BLA claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.


In October last year, Pakistan Railways announced the restoration of train services between Quetta and Peshawar after a suspension of more than a month and a half.

Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in terrorist attacks over the past year. In November 2024, at least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station.


Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups frequently carry out attacks targeting security personnel, government projects and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the oil and mineral-rich province.

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