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Crash of U.S. Helicopter an Accident: Spokesman
Pakistan's Foreign Office on Saturday confirmed two American pilots were killed while their helicopter crashed Friday night inside Pakistan, saying it was an accident.
Speaking at a press briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Riaz Mohammed Khan said the helicopter crashed in one of the military facilities provided to the United States as logistic support.
"This helicopter is not a part of any operations to be conducted against Afghanistan," he said.
Earlier, while speaking to reporters here, Pakistani military spokesman Rashid Gureshi also confirmed the crash of the U.S. helicopter, saying it was performing a rescue operation and "it's not a combat aircraft."
Riaz said that the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan telephoned Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf overnight, suggesting Musharraf to visit New York to address the U.N. General Assembly.
The Pakistani government was giving "dual consideration" to the suggestion, said the spokesman.
On a question, he replied categorically that no Pakistani forces of any kind are taking part in the U.S.-led military actions in Afghanistan.
To another question, he said that Taliban envoy Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, who came back Thursday night, had met with senior officials in Pakistan's Foreign Office. But he denied of any new peace plans offered by Zaeef.
On the future political set-up in Afghanistan, the spokesman stressed that under the resolutions of the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference, the future Afghan government must be broad-based, "representing all segments of the Afghan society," which can bring national reconciliation, peace and stability to Afghanistan.
"Basically, all elements of the Afghan population should participate in this kind of government," he said, adding that this kind of government will bring peace and stability "which is also in the interests of Pakistan."
Riaz said earlier in the briefing that President of Turkey Ahmed Necdet Sezer will visit Pakistan on October 25 and the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Saud Al-Faisal, is expected to arrive in Islamabad next week.
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