Karakoram Highway blocked in Kohistan

Protesters lament 'neglect', reject suspension of police officers and demand compensation for Pakistani driver

ABBOTABAD:

Tensions flared as residents of Upper and Lower Kohistan districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took to the streets, blocking the Karakoram Highway on the third day of Eidul Fitr to voice their discontent over the suspension of senior police officers following the Bisham suicide attack.

Angered by the actions taken against local authorities and the perceived neglect of Muhammad Riaz's family, who lost his life in the Lower Kohistan explosion, citizens from both districts staged a protest blocking the Karakoram Highway for several hours in Lower Kohistan and Upper Kohistan.

Protesters gathered at mosques across Lower Kohistan, converging at RMB Chowk and subsequently blocking the Karakoram Highway. Meanwhile, residents of Upper and Lower Kohistan also vented their frustration in the main bazaars of both districts.

Voicing their grievances, demonstrators argued that the suspended officials were not accountable for the attack, which took place in Shangla district's Bisham area, not in Kohistan.

They criticised the suspension of officials from Kohistan and Hazara division while demanding justice and compensation for the Pakistani driver who lost his life in the attack.

They condemned the federal government for suspending the administrative officers of both districts of Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Upper Kohistan.

People protested against the recent Bisham suicide incident and against the “conspiracy to defame Kohistan” in which scholars, dignitaries, youths and others participated in large numbers.

The protesters chanted slogans against Information Minister Attaullah Tarar while blocking the Karakoram Highway for two hours.

One of the protesters, Maulana Abdul Aziz Haqqani, said that Kohistan had remained peaceful during a surge in militancy in Malakand and other areas. He further highlighted that after the 2021 attack in Upper Kohistan, China had received a large amount as compensation but authorities did not do the same for the Pakistani driver who was killed.

He said that he would not rest until the federal government provided compensation to the heirs of the Pakistani driver killed in the Bisham attack. He also alleged that authorities had not even visited the family of the deceased driver.

“We will not let the government continue [with] this behaviour [of] suspending the Kohistan, Hazara division police officers in a case pertaining to Shangla and Malakand division,” Maulana Israr, another protester, said.

He said that the protesters wanted a transparent inquiry into the blast, adding that action should be taken against those who were responsible for the crime.

Maulana Waliullah Tawhedi said that doling out punishments to officers from Kohistan in a case pertaining to Shangla was not justified. He also demanded compensation for the Pakistani driver killed in the attack, saying that it should be equal to the amount given to the Chinese.

On March 26, a suicide bombing in K-P's Bisham claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers, alongside their Pakistani driver, while en route from Islamabad to a hydroelectric dam construction site in Dasu. The bus fell victim to the attack in the city of Bisham, located within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Shangla district.

In the aftermath of the devastating incident, China swiftly demanded a thorough investigation into the blast and heightened security measures for its citizens.

Responding to this urgent call, Islamabad promptly announced its commitment to conduct a comprehensive probe to bring the "perpetrators and accomplices" to justice. Chinese investigators also arrived to collaborate in the investigation.

In line with the Chinese government's insistence on a swift and thorough investigation, the authorities in Islamabad resolved to establish a joint investigation team to delve into the attack.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took decisive action, ordering the dismissal of five senior police officers due to their alleged negligence and security oversights that contributed to the Bisham attack.

Speaking at a press briefing, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar disclosed that the sanctioned action targeted the police chiefs of Hazara division, Upper Kohistan, and Lower Kohistan districts, as well as the security director of the Dasu Hydropower Project and the commandant of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Special Security Unit.

"The inquiry report identified these security officials' negligence in their duties, emphasising their failure to maintain vigilance on the day of the tragic incident," Tarar remarked, further stating, "Disciplinary measures will be implemented within the next 15 days."