Hit-and-run: Woman crushed by naval chief’s squad

Body lying unidentified in mortuary.

ISLAMABAD:

Unaware of the necessity of security protocols for VVIPs, a woman who tried to cross the empty Islamabad Expressway on Tuesday came in the way of the naval chief’s speeding motorcade that crushed her in a hit-and-run accident.

She was hit by a vehicle of Naval Police which was escorting naval chief Muhammad Asif Sandila who was coming to Islamabad from the airport. The woman was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where she was declared dead. Her unidentified body was shifted to the mortuary. A police official said the vehicle, did not stop after hitting the woman.

However, the Shahzad Town police is yet to register a case as they were still trying to establish the identity of the woman. The victim’s details were broadcast on television and publicised through loudspeakers in mosques in Shakrial, where the incident took place. Police said the woman who was in her late thirties looked like a Pathan as she was dressed in traditional Pukhtoon clothes. These details were given to cable operators in the area.

However, Station House Officer (SHO) Khalid Masud said Naval Police officials had approached the police to assure them of their cooperation in the case and were ready to compensate the woman’s family once she is identified. They could also face legal action if the victim’s relatives decide to register a case.

An official spokesperson for the Navy said the incident was being investigated and appropriate action would be taken after the report was submitted.

Shahzad Town police said the registration number of the vehicle involved in the incident was given to them by Naval Police. When questioned who was at fault and how the woman managed to appear on the highway while it had been blocked for VVIP movement, the SHO said the incident was being investigated.

He added that pedestrians were not allowed to cross the five-lane highway and were supposed to use overhead bridges. “Nevertheless, a life was lost and it is important to probe the incident.”

Published In The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2012.