- "Pakistan Air Force reports with regret that a PAF F-16 aircraft crashed near Shakarparian, Islamabad during the rehearsals of 23 March parade."
- An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the incident, according to the Pakistani Air Force spokesman.
- This represents the third military plane crash in a year in Pakistan.
A Pakistani F-16 aircraft crashed in the Shakirian area in Islamabad, killing the pilot onboard. The dead pilot, Wing Commander Norman Akram, belonged to the Nine Squadron, which is stationed in Sargodha. A Pakistani Air Force spokesman, Waseem Ahad Khan, confirmed the news and said that the plane crashed shortly after the flight and fall in the forested area of Islamabad.

“Pakistan Air Force reports with regret that a PAF F-16 aircraft crashed near Shakarparian, Islamabad during the rehearsals of 23 March parade,” the air force said in its statement. It added that “a board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the incident”.
Shoaib Ahmed, a local resident, told reporters that he had seen eye-to-eye and said, “I saw the plane crashed on the roof of my house while flying at a very low level.” According to Shoaib Ahmed, he believed the pilot did not have time to jump through the parachute. The accident took place at 10:30 AM local time.
Meanwhile, the police and army have surrounded the area and all roads leading to the accident have been completely sealed. An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the incident, according to the Pakistani Air Force spokesman.
Pakistan Day is held every year on March 23 in the country. On March 23, 1940, the Resolution of Pakistan was passed, aimed at liberating Muslims from the British imperialist system that ruled the subcontinent, and establishing a sovereign state for them. A military parade is held on March 23 every year since the establishment of Pakistan. The preparations for the parade begun several weeks ago and the Pakistani Air Force pilots continue their rehearsals.

January 2020 Accident
A Pakistani Air Force plane crashed on January 7, 2020, killing two pilots aboard. Chinese-made aircraft Craft FTC was on its usual operational training. The accident took place in Mianwali area of southern Punjab, 300 km from Lahore, the cultural city of Punjab. According to Pakistani Air Force spokesman Waseem Ahmad Khan, orders were issued to launch an investigation to uncover details of the actual cause of the accident.
According to reports, the fighter jets fell in an open field and the collapse did not cause further casualties, except for both pilots. According to the press release, both pilots, Harris Bin Khalid and flying officer Ibadur Rehman were killed. Authorities issued orders for a full investigation into the crash.
The rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after the accident and the bodies of both pilots were rushed to the Combined Military Hospital immediately. According to a government official, it appears that both pilots on the plane did not get a chance to evacuate before the crash took place. Nineteen people were killed in a Pakistani army plane crash in July last year. The plane crashed into a Rawalpindi residential area during a training flight.
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