Attabad compensation demands: Three sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for Hunza riots

The convicts were involved in protests which erupted following the killing of a father and son 2 years ago.

GILGIT:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced three people involved in the 2011 riots in Hunza to 10 years in prison on Monday.

The convicts were involved in the riots which erupted in Hunza valley following the killing of a father and son two years ago. “The decision was announced by Justice Syed Faisal of ATC-2,” said Ehsan Ali, a lawyer.

Mohammad Ali, Riaz and Shams were among nearly 100 others booked for several charges, including under the Anti-Terrorism Act for arson, rioting and damaging government property in 2011.



The incident occurred in August 2011 when police opened fire on a group of protesters in Aliabad who were demanding compensation for their land wrecked and inundated by the Attabad Lake. The protesters were among 25 out of 457 families who had not been compensated.

Police action was taken to clear the Karakoram Highway for Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, who was visiting the valley, to pass through. Afzal Baig, 22, and his father, Sherullah Baig were shot dead, as a result of which riots broke out and enraged protesters torched a police station and other government offices.

Demanded transparency

Progressive Youth Front (PYF) member Baba Jan demanded the judicial inquiry of the incident conducted by Justice Mumtaz Alam must be made public and those responsible must be brought to justice.

“What is the utility of the report if its recommendations go unheard,” Jan argued, referring to the inquiry that was conducted after G-B’s Supreme Appellate Court took suo motu notice.

Jan was also among those detained on treason charges. He was acquitted in April earlier this year after almost a year in confinement. He criticised the regional and federal governments for not keeping their word on withdrawing charges against the accused.

“These politicians are making a fool out of us. Mehdi Shah and (Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and G-B) Birjis Tahir had vowed to waive the charges, but failed to do this,” Jan alleged.

Jan claimed the government can hold talks with those defying the writ of the state, but could not extend the same courtesy to those accused in G-B. Advocate Mumtaz Nagri and PYF’s Zahoor Ilahi also expressed similar views.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2013.