Ojhri Camp lives on in memories

At least 32 years on, govt yet to release report of arms depot explosion that left 93 dead, over 1,100 injured

RAWALPINDI: The day, April 10, 1988, remains etched in the memories of Rawalpindi and Islamabad residents.

The day had started like any other, but before it ended, at least 93 people were dead and 1,100 others were critically injured.

The cause was a suspected fire that sparked in military weapons dump at Ojhri Camp. The fire allegedly set off the rockets and bombs stored there.

The ‘bombardment’ in the twin cities continued from 10am to 5pm, causing a colossal loss of life and property. The then federal minister Khaqan Abbasi was among those who fell victim to the stray rockets streaking out of the catastrophic fire. His son, Zahid Abbasi, was seriously injured and ultimately died in 2005 after spending the previous 17 years in a coma. Abbasi’s son, Shahid, went on to become the prime minister of Pakistan.

Recalling the incidents of that day, senior journalist Raja Zulfiqar said that the first thing they heard was a tremendous explosion. It was followed by at least 10 other intense blasts.

The explosions were so intense that people thought the city was under attack from Pakistan’s enemies at the time, the Soviet Union or India, said 71-year old Zulfiqar.

A resident of Magistrate Colony, which is located close to the camp, said that thousands of residents in the densely populated city panicked. Fearing a grave made of the rubble of their own homes, many rushed out into open spaces.

For 70 –year old Ajmal Butt, a resident of Railway Colony in Rawalpindi, it was virtually doomsday with everyone running for their lives.

“We were going about our daily routine of when suddenly the explosions began and soon, the black clouds of smoke had covered the entire sky,” Butt said, adding that soon after, these ominous clouds started raining down bombs and missiles.”

But no shelter was to be had from this rain.

In case of war, people are forewarned by the civil defence about the aerial bombing and how to protect themselves, however, neither PTV nor Radio Pakistan — the only mass electronic media available - did not report anything.

“There was an explosion in an ammunition depot near Faizabad, after which there were a string of explosions,” he said, adding that missiles and bombs of all shapes and sizes kept falling in Rawalpindi and Islamabad over a radius of almost 20 kilometres.

People in the twin cities had no idea what hit them, Butt said, adding that many people thought they were under attack from a foreign enemy.

In the absence of an official announcement from the state, he said that people were left to believe what they wanted to believe.

Everyone, including men, women and children, were confused and were running helter-skelter seeking shelter instead of just ducking into a corner of their homes to avoid being hit by a projectile, he said.

A resident of Dhok Ratta in Rawalpindi, 56-year-old Shaukat Malik was still in school when the incident occurred.

He recalled that they had just opened up their books when the explosions began.

Malik said people just rushed home, leaving shops and offices unattended. All government offices, trade, business, educational institutions, and commercial markets of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were closed. In the seven hours of mayhem and chaos that ensued, the people who were worst hit were those living near the camp.

The true scale of the tragedy became apparent when the dust settled and people of the twin cities could be seen hauling the dead and injured to the overwhelmed hospitals in their cars.

Although 32 years have passed, the government has yet to release the inquiry report of the incident. President Ziaul Haq was in power and Muhammad Khan Junejo was the prime minister at that time.

Junejo had ordered an inquiry into the incident however he was dismissed by Zia on May 29, 1988. A few months later, Zia and his team perished in aircraft explosion over Bahawalpur on August 17, 1988.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2020.