E-Paper | June 17, 2026

PAF plane on routine training mission crashes near Shorkot in Punjab

Naveed Siddiqui Published February 7, 2020
A statement issued by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) spokesperson said that the pilot had safely ejected and no loss of life or property had been reported on the ground. — AP/File
A statement issued by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) spokesperson said that the pilot had safely ejected and no loss of life or property had been reported on the ground. — AP/File
comments
Whatsapp Channel
Add Dawn as a trusted source
Google Preferred Source

A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Mirage aircraft crashed on Friday while on a routine operational training mission near Shorkot city in Punjab, PAF confirmed.

A statement issued by the PAF spokesperson said the pilot safely ejected and no loss of life or property had been reported on the ground.

Additionally, a board of inquiry has been ordered by the Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the accident.

Last month, a PAF aircraft crashed while on a routine operational training mission near Mianwali. Both pilots, Squadron Leader Haris bin Khalid and Flying Officer Ibaadur Rehman, aboard the PAF FT-7 aircraft lost their lives in the crash.

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Read more

Khan
Feb 07, 2020 03:01pm
No money no honey
Recommend 0
A shah
Feb 07, 2020 03:02pm
Chinese made?
Recommend 0
Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad
Feb 07, 2020 04:15pm
French Mirage aircraft's are pretty old and obsolete and should be replaced with the latest and more modern aircraft's by PAF.
Recommend 0
gghh
Feb 07, 2020 05:06pm
Excellent pilot
Recommend 0
ghouse mohiddin
Feb 07, 2020 05:14pm
one billion $$ loss. No money to replace it.
Recommend 0
imrans dad
Feb 07, 2020 05:20pm
Great
Recommend 0
Simba
Feb 07, 2020 05:29pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, no money for wheat flour and tomatoes.
Recommend 0
Zak
Feb 07, 2020 05:47pm
@A shah, No sign of Teja!
Recommend 0
Pak1
Feb 07, 2020 05:58pm
Why are we following the Indian Airforce model?
Recommend 0
LAHORI KID
Feb 07, 2020 06:03pm
@A shah, French
Recommend 0
A shah
Feb 07, 2020 06:08pm
Sell more wheat and buy more guns and jets
Recommend 0
Anand Yesu
Feb 07, 2020 06:38pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Excellent suggestion doctor. Also, please let us know from where to take new loans.
Recommend 0
Jeff
Feb 07, 2020 06:38pm
Shouldn't had laughed on India!
Recommend 0
Observer
Feb 07, 2020 07:29pm
@A shah, Mirage is not Chinese. First do your research and then comment.
Recommend 0
Tehman
Feb 07, 2020 07:40pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Easy said than done.
Recommend 0
Hameed
Feb 07, 2020 07:51pm
@Jeff, India has gold medal in crashes.
Recommend 0
Rehan
Feb 07, 2020 07:58pm
@A shah, Why , how many Chinese Jets have crashed so far ?
Recommend 0
Akbar Din
Feb 07, 2020 08:13pm
@A shah, Since when have the chinese started making building Mirages ?
Recommend 0
General Disaster
Feb 07, 2020 08:16pm
It happens.
Recommend 0
zak
Feb 07, 2020 08:34pm
@Pak1, you were following the downed f16 trail...
Recommend 0
Salman
Feb 07, 2020 08:46pm
I am glad the pilot ejected safely, our pilots are amongst the best in the world.
Recommend 0
ratan bhai
Feb 07, 2020 09:10pm
@A shah, So what
Recommend 0
AKL
Feb 07, 2020 09:43pm
Sad
Recommend 0
Sid
Feb 07, 2020 10:13pm
@Hameed, we use our plane and practice. That's how we shot down an F16 with a Mig 21.
Recommend 0
Shrish
Feb 07, 2020 10:46pm
@Salman, Master of ejections!
Recommend 0
Akram
Feb 07, 2020 11:04pm
@A shah, nice try, they are French made, just like the ones india is buying!
Recommend 0
Janata Darabar
Feb 07, 2020 11:37pm
Sell all 20 years old plane and buy new one. Saudi already gave $1.5 bln.
Recommend 0
Bilal
Feb 07, 2020 11:44pm
@A shah, It’s a Mirage. Read the article before commenting.
Recommend 0
anwar imdad
Feb 08, 2020 01:35am
Please dovert resources for the social welfare of the people.
Recommend 0
A shah
Feb 08, 2020 01:44am
@Zak, Pakistan should buy world class Teja fighter jets from superpower India.
Recommend 0
ratan bhai
Feb 08, 2020 01:48am
@Salman, Agree no Qs.
Recommend 0
Zak
Feb 08, 2020 02:07am
@A shah, 'Chinese made?' Very poor Indian education system. To teach you, Mirage fighters are French. Remember that.
Recommend 0
Zak
Feb 08, 2020 02:17am
@Jeff, 'Shouldn't had laughed on India!' We can laugh as it was shot down by us and denied by India until they saw their hero made zero, walk back to their country without plane.
Recommend 0
Syed Anjum Ali
Feb 08, 2020 02:20am
Outdated Mirage jets to be please retired now. Thanks.
Recommend 0
mbawmba
Feb 08, 2020 04:28am
Pakistan matters. It absolutely matters!
Recommend 0
BOLO_bolo
Feb 08, 2020 04:59am
It is the sons of in-service or retired servicemen who are given preference in admissions in flight academies mostly un-deserving and the resulting loss of aircrafts intermittently. Does anyone has the count of number of aircrafts lost by PAF in seventy years?
Recommend 0
Zubair Syed
Feb 08, 2020 05:40am
This is alarming. Are we maintaining our fighter planes properly. These crashes need to be properly investigated. We are proud of our pilots and their skills and must ensure that our planes are fit for service.
Recommend 0
Akbar Din
Feb 08, 2020 05:44am
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Easier said than done. Where will the money come from ?
Recommend 0
Inquisitor
Feb 08, 2020 06:18am
Is no one on the picture/news desk capable of telling the difference between a Mirage in service with the PAF and the aircraft used to depict the story? Lift your game guys!
Recommend 0
Ali Baba +40
Feb 08, 2020 06:35am
@Pak1, What model is that?
Recommend 0
Muhmainmud
Feb 08, 2020 07:35am
@Akram, no mirage crash in india..u better learn how to fly
Recommend 0

Most Popular

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09

Latest Stories

Opinion

Editorial

A new deal
Updated 16 Jun, 2026

A new deal

AFTER three and a half months of war between US-Israel and Iran and an acrimonious temporary ceasefire, a genuine...
Charter of economy
16 Jun, 2026

Charter of economy

NO one expected the PTI to accept the government’s invitation to sign a charter of economy; just as few expected...
Hostage seamen
16 Jun, 2026

Hostage seamen

SOME 50 days on, 11 Pakistani nationals are still in Somali pirates’ captivity. Their appeals to the Pakistani and...
Climate choices
Updated 15 Jun, 2026

Climate choices

The country is confronting increasingly volatile weather patterns with consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, public health and economic planning.
Brief opening
15 Jun, 2026

Brief opening

WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace...
Environmental disaster
15 Jun, 2026

Environmental disaster

IT was a heartbreaking sight. A recent news report in these pages carried a picture of a sea turtle lying half ...
Dawn News English Podcasts
Subscribe