ISLAMABAD, July 10: President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chairman Senate Mohammed Mian Soomro, Speaker National Assembly and other federal ministers have expressed deep shock and grief over the loss of 45 lives due to the crash of the PIA Fokker plane (PK-688) en route from Multan to Lahore on Monday.

The president and the prime minister have ordered for an immediate probe into the plane crash.

The president has asked the Defence Ministry, PIA and Civil Aviation Authority to submit a report of the crash at the earliest. He prayed to the Almighty to rest the departed souls in everlasting peace and give courage to their family members to bear the irreparable losses.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives due to the crash. He has asked Senior Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal to conduct an inquiry into the incident to ascertain the causes behind the air crash so as to prevent their recurrence.

Chairman Senate Mohammed Mian Soomro and Acting Chairman Senate Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali have also expressed sorrow over the incident.

In their separate messages of condolence to the members of the bereaved families, they prayed to the Almighty to shower His blessings on those killed and grant fortitude to the members of the bereaved families to bear the loss with equanimity.

Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao, Ejaz ul Haq, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Hamid Yar Haraj, Hamayun Akhtar, Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Nouraiz Shakoor, Zubaida Jalal, Javed Ashraf Qazi, Zahid Hamid and other federal ministers have expressed deep sorrow over the incident.—Online