This is all you need to know to realize this was a biggie that got whacked.
Hmmmm.....Funny coincidence?
Air service to North Waziristan starts
Friday, March 14, 2008
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: After South Waziristan Agency, Pakistan Army Aviation on Thursday launched air service to the bordering North Waziristan Agency (NWA) when a maiden flight airlifted 55 tribesmen from Miramshah to Peshawar free of cost.
Military authorities said these non-commercial flights to both the under-developed tribal regions were launched as a good gesture aimed at facilitating tribal people in their movements to Peshawar and the rest of the country.
Pakistan Army Aviation’s Y-12 aircraft on Monday made a maiden trip to Wana, regional headquarters of South Waziristan, and took military officials and local journalists to Peshawar.
Baffled by this new development in their militancy-stricken region, a sizeable number of tribesmen gathered outside the newly constructed Miramshah airport to welcome the first-ever flight.
Army spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas told ‘The News’ that flights to South and North Waziristan had been launched for helping the people for their easy transportation to rest of the country. “Since the two regions are far-off taking several hours of the residents to reach their destinations by mostly dilapidated roads, therefore, Pakistan Army decided to provide them a swift mean of transportation,” explained the chief military spokesman.
However, Gen Abbas said these flights would not operate on regular basis and also flight schedule would be kept secret due to security concerns in the two restive tribal regions, bordering Afghanistan. He said the Peshawar-based Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) officials would announce flight schedule a day before of the flight.
He said there would be a special quota in each flight for people of the two regions.
It may be mentioned here that Pakistan Army after day night work recently completed airports in Wana and Miramshah, which are situated in the highly guarded military camps.
Also, launch of air services to the two regions had generated hopes among the people of sectarian-hit Kurram tribal region and are expecting that military authorities would now seriously consider their case on merit.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=101276
Sounds like another good hit. They seem to be coming more frequently, which is always good news.