Gilgit shootings: Four cops suspended, 12 suspects rounded up

Police investigating Saturday night’s blast that did not cause damage.

GILGIT: Four policemen, in whose presence a cop was killed and another was shot injured a day earlier, were suspended by the local government on Sunday. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Ali Sher said an inquiry has been initiated against the four policemen for negligence.

The incident occurred near Rax Chowk at 5am on Saturday, when two motorcycle riders were stopped by the policemen for violating a recently imposed ban on travelling on motorbikes. The two men opened fire on the policemen, killing Constable Raja Shah Jamaluddin and injuring another, and managed to escape.

Meanwhile, the Gilgit police arrested 12 suspects in connection with different shooting incidents in the town that are believed to be reprisal attacks following the Naran bus carnage, in which 19 people, mostly Shias, travelling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) were executed.

The DIG said the police are also investigating the blast that occurred in a congested area of the town on Saturday night. The blast did not cause any damage but triggered panic in the restive town.

Traffic on the KKH from G-B to Rawalpindi remained suspended on Sunday, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded in the region. Due to bad weather, flights to Gilgit were also cancelled for the third consecutive day.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2012.