
India plane crash: Pakistan PM Sharif offers prayers to those affected by 'heartbreaking tragedy'
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences to the victims of the plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.
"Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy," Sharif said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he was "saddened" by the plane crash.
"Condolences over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief," Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, he said on X.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Today
10 hours ago
- Gulf Today
'I can't believe I am alive,' recounts lone survivor of Air India crash in emotional meeting with PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the devastating Air India plane crash. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, is recovering from injuries sustained in the crash and is being treated at a hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramesh, who police said was in seat 11A near the emergency exit and managed to squeeze through the broken hatch, was filmed after Thursday's crash limping on the street in a blood-stained T-shirt with bruises on his face. That social media footage of Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, has been broadcast across India's news channels since the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner erupted in a ball of fire after it plummeted onto a medical college hostel moments after taking off from Ahmedabad. It was the worst aviation disaster in a decade and his escape is being hailed as the "miracle of seat 11A" in the British media. Narendra Modi with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday. AFP Ramesh, travelling with his 45-year-old brother Ajay Kumar Rakesh, recounted the harrowing moments to Prime Minister Modi during their meeting. "My brother was seated in a different row and didn't survive. I still don't know how I made it out alive,' he told the Prime Minister. "For a while, I thought I was going to die. Everything happened in front of my eyes — the noise, the impact, the fire. I somehow found a small space to escape.' Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah meets with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh at a hospital in Ahmedabad. AP Describing the terrifying seconds before the crash, he said, "After take-off, the aircraft seemed to stall briefly. Then it suddenly nosedived and crashed into the building. I was on the opposite side of where the plane hit. That saved me.' Ramesh, who was seen walking away from the wreckage despite his injuries, added that he was receiving good medical care. Modi also visited the Civil Hospital and met with several injured victims of the crash, many of whom are students of the BJ Medical College. FAMILY HEARTBROKEN OVER BROTHER Police said some people at the hostel and others on the ground were also killed in the crash. Rescue workers were searching for missing people and aircraft parts in the charred buildings of the hostel on Friday to help find the cause of the crash. 19-year-old Hiren Kantilal, cousin of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, gives an interview to an AFP journalist in the street outside the family home in Leicester. AFP Air India has said the investigation will take time. Planemaker Boeing has said a team of experts is ready to go to India to help in the probe. Ramesh said the plane seemed to come to a standstill in midair for a few seconds shortly after take-off and the green and white cabin lights were turned on. He said he could feel the engine thrust increasing but then the plane "crashed with speed into the hostel." At the family home in Leicester, central England, Ramesh's cousin Hiren Kantilal said they had spoken with him via video call that morning and relatives were urgently trying to make arrangements to travel to India. Asked about Ramesh's brother, Kantilal said: "We can't describe in the words, we are totally heartbroken." The hostel that bore the brunt of the impact was filled with young MBBS students, many of whom had no time to react when the plane hit the building. The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. It slammed into the hostel of BJ Medical College in the densely populated Meghaninagar area, just 3 km from the airport. The crash occurred around 1.30 pm — just as medical students had gathered in the mess-cum-dining hall for lunch. Agencies


Gulf Today
13 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Pakistan 'saddened' by deadly plane crash in India
Gulf Today Report Leaders from Pakistan expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of at least 242 lives in the tragic plane crash incident in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday. Minutes after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, the London-bound Air India flight 171 crashed with 242 on board. Reacting to the plane crash indecent, Prime Minister Shahbaz said: 'Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today.' He added: We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.' Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday he was "saddened" by a plane crash in neighbouring India, where all 242 people on board an Air India flight are believed killed. "Condolences over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief," Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said on social media platform X. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has also offered condolences on Air India crash tragedy. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic crash of #AirIndia Flight AI171 near Ahmedabad today. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of all aboard. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected," he said. The defence minister said, "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of all aboard. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected." Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he was 'saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred', mentioning the Air India crash. 'I express my profound condolences to the people of India,' he said on X. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has also expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Nawaz Sharif offered heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash. In his message, he wrote that the devastating tragedy goes beyond borders and reminds us of our shared humanity. He extended his deep sympathy to Prime Minister Modi and the people of India, saying that his thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families. Sharif's message struck a note of compassion and unity, highlighting how such incidents touch hearts on both sides of the border. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) also extended condolences to the families of all those who lost loved ones in the crash. Taking to X, the spokesperson said: Our hearts go out to the families & loved ones affected by today's tragic crash. At #PIA, we stand in solidarity with our fellow aviation community, offering our deepest condolences to Flight 171 and all those impacted.'


Khaleej Times
14 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
From moonshots to diplomacy: India makes its presence felt
As Chandrayaan-3 gently descended onto the uncharted lunar south pole on August 23, 2023, mission control at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) erupted in celebration. But far from the jubilant engineers and the blinking consoles in Bengaluru, the ripples were felt in foreign ministries across the globe — from Washington to Paris, and beyond. India had just become the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon's south pole, joining an elite club of spacefaring nations. The triumph was scientific, but the implications were profoundly strategic. It signalled, unmistakably, that India's space programme is no longer just about rockets and research; it is now a central pillar of its foreign policy. This is space diplomacy, Indian style: pragmatic, purposeful, and increasingly pivotal to New Delhi's global engagement. For long has India's space programme operated in relative isolation, nurtured by strategic autonomy and limited budgets. But in today's multipolar, tech-driven world, space is no longer the final frontier. It is a geopolitical arena. And India is stepping in with intent. India's evolution from a regional space actor to a global scientific and strategic partner is neither accidental nor cosmetic. It reflects a deliberate recalibration of its foreign policy priorities in the 21st century - one where soft power, science, and strategic technology converge. Take, for instance, the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the United States. During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2023 state visit to Washington, space was a dominant theme. The two countries signed agreements enabling ISRO and NASA to collaborate on joint missions, including the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite in 2024, designed to monitor climate change through high-resolution imagery. This mission, the world's most expensive Earth observation satellite to date at nearly $1.5 billion and weighing close to 3,000 kilos, epitomizes how space cooperation is shaping broader conversations around climate, security, and sustainability. With France, too, India has built one of its most enduring space alliances. For over six decades, the Indo-French space collaboration has ranged from satellite launches to scientific exchange. Today, it extends to joint ventures in Earth observation, maritime surveillance, and even space situational awareness, a reflection of the countries' shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The India-Bhutan satellite, jointly developed to enhance remote sensing capabilities in the Himalayan kingdom, is again not just a goodwill gesture but a strategic investment in regional stability, resilience, and trust. What makes India's space diplomacy uniquely effective is its blend of accessibility, credibility, and ambition. Add to it India's affordable launch services and it makes it a win-win for all. The numbers underscore this: Since 1999 until July 2023, ISRO had launched 431 foreign satellites for 34 countries. India's burgeoning private space ecosystem adds another dimension to its diplomatic toolkit. With the liberalisation of the space sector in 2020 and the establishment of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to facilitate private participation, several startups are redefining the possibilities of Indian space innovation. As of December 2024, around 330 industries, startups, and MSMEs are associated with IN-SPACe for activities ranging from authorization and data dissemination to technology transfer and access to ISRO facilities. Their agility and cost-efficiency make India an attractive partner not just for state actors but also for global commercial ventures. India's space diplomacy is not merely about prestige. It is about building coalitions of capability, creating a framework for shared technological futures, and asserting strategic autonomy in an interdependent world. By turning space into a conduit for cooperation rather than competition, India is not just launching satellites; it is launching a new era of international engagement.