ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilot died on Wednesday after the aircraft crashed in a remote area of Balochistan, a PAF spokesman said.
The F-7PG training aircraft was on a routine operational training mission when it suffered the mishap near the Mastung district of the southern province.
“The pilot of the aircraft embraced shahadat [martyrdom] in the tragic accident,” a brief statement issued by the PAF read.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. However, PAF said that an investigation has been ordered to probe the incident. “A board of inquiry has been ordered by the Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the accident,” the statement added.
The F-7PG is a single-engine, lightweight fighter aircraft which was inducted into the PAF in 2002 as a replacement for the F-6 which was later decommissioned. The PAF uses the F-7PG for routine operational training missions.
According to reports, the PAF has lost at least 13 F-7PGs or trainer aircraft FT-7PGs in the 17 years since the induction. However, aviation experts consider this within the normal limit.
No loss of civilian life and property has been reported on ground after the crash thus far.
Pilot killed in PAF plane crash in Mastung
Pilot killed in PAF plane crash in Mastung
- Aircraft was on a routine operational training mission
- Committee to probe cause of the accident
Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months
- Finance adviser says repayment shows “decisive shift” toward fiscal discipline, responsible economic management
- Says Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over $286.6 billion in June 2025 to $284.7 billion in November 2025
KARACHI: Pakistan has repaid Rs3,650 billion [$13.06 billion] in domestic debt before time during the last 14 months, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on Thursday, adding that the achievement reflected a shift in the country’s approach toward fiscal discipline.
Schehzad said Pakistan has been repaying its debt before maturity, owed to the market as well as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), since December 2024. He said the government had repaid the central bank Rs300 billion [$1.08 billion] in its latest repayment on Thursday.
“This landmark achievement reflects a decisive shift toward fiscal discipline, credibility, and responsible economic management,” Schehzad wrote on social media platform X.
Giving a breakdown of what he said was Pakistan’s “early debt retirement journey,” the finance official said Pakistan retired Rs1,000 billion [$3.576 billion] in December 2024, Rs500 billion [$1.78 billion] in June 2025, Rs1,160 billion [$4.150 billion] in August 2025, Rs200 billion [$715 million] in October 2025, Rs494 billion [$1.76 billion] in December 2025 and $1.08 billion in January 2026.
He said with the latest debt repaid today, the July to January period of fiscal year 2026 alone recorded Rs2,150 billion [$7.69 billion] in early retirement, which was 44 percent higher than the debt retired in FY25.
He said of the total early repayments, the government has repaid 65 percent of the central bank’s debt, 30 percent of the treasury bills debt and five percent of the Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) debt.
The official said Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over Rs 80.5 trillion [$286.6 billion] in June 2025 to Rs80 trillion [$284.7 billion] in November 2025.
“Crucially, Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio, around 74 percent in FY22, has declined to around 70 percent, reflecting a broader strengthening of fiscal fundamentals alongside disciplined debt management,” Schehzad wrote.
Pakistan’s government has said the country’s fragile economy is on an upward trajectory. The South Asian country has been trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.
