Gilgit violence: CM wants strict action against miscreants

Our Correspondent

Gilgit, December 18: The Chief Minster has ordered law enforcing agencies to take strict action against miscreants who are sabotaging peace and corroding the writ of the government in the region. He instructed the Home Department to submit a detailed report about the December 18 violence which took lives of at least two people while three were injured.

The CM was chairing a specially convened meeting attended by heads of all the forces and officials of the home department.

A fresh wave of violence erupted in the city this morning after the news of the death of a youth named Zameer Abbas, injured on December 12, became public.

In the ensuing violence, one shopkeeper named Ayaz, brother of a member of the Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jammat (ASWJ) group, was shot dead in the Hospital Road area and a public transport vehicle coming towards the city from Baseen area was ambushed in Amphary, leading to the death of Shahrukh, a 17 year old resident of Baseen.

Hours later another vehicle was attacked in Konodas area, which resulted in injuries to at least three people.

The dead were put to rest today in different parts of the city while the injured are reported to be out of danger.

The government has imposed a ban on the use of motorcycles in the city.

A press release shared by the CM Secretariat has hinted at a possible “deweaponisation” strategy for Gilgit city, which has become a hub of violent militancy during the last three decades. The violence in Gilgit city has serious security repercussions for people traveling on the Karakoram Highway.

The residents of Chilas had blocked the KKH in protest over the killings in Gilgit city. All traffic had been stopped to avert any untoward reactionary incident, like the one observed earlier this year.