Police high handedness triggers protests in Punial, road blocked for hours

Protesters disperse after cancellation of cases, cabinet member blasts police

PT Report

Gahkuch, September 28: Angry protesters blocked the main road connecting GB to Chitral for 6 hours near Singal village of Tehsil Punial, Ghizar, in reaction to raids conducted for arrest of local youth. The youth were arrested because some of them were party to a small tussle of personal nature that took place in Singal Nallah, between the youth of Singal and some people from Darel, Diamer, the adjacent valley.

According to details the Ghizar Police conducted raids in different parts of Singal village and arrested a number of local youth. In reaction the local people took to the streets and blocked the Gilgit – Chitral road for around 6 hours, while chanting slogans against the local police.

Surprisingly, the GB Education Minister, Ali Madad Sher, also joined the protesters. He later told the media that the GB police is hand in glove with looters and murderers. He said that the Ghizar police had failed to nab murderers and looters. He also accused the police of creating rift between the people of Ghizar and Diamer due to their corrupt practices and inefficiency.

The protesters demanded that cases against the local youth be annulled. They dispersed peacefully after acceptance of their demands.