Eid security plan: Traffic on Babusar Road suspended for security

Drive launched to register organisations intending to collect animal hides.

GILGIT: Traffic between Gilgit–Baltistan (G-B) and Rawalpindi via Babusar Road has been suspended ahead of Eidul Azha for security reasons, officials said on Sunday.

“The decision has been taken after mutual consultation between the provincial government of G-B and Khyber – Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),” said Shehzad Hassan, an official of the G-B Information Department, though he did not specify the nature of threat, if any.



At the same time, the official said, security on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) has also been intensified to ensure the safe return of G-B residents who work outside the region.  As Eidul Azha comes closer, traffic jams on KKH and Babusar Road have increased as people are returning home to celebrate the festival with their families.

Currently, passenger buses travelling on KKH are also being escorted by police and paramilitary troops in parts of G-B and K-P to avert any unfortunate incident.

“It has been decided that vehicles will not be allowed to cross the area between Babusar top and Naran-Kaghan,” said the official, referring to the area where last year armed men affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had killed about 20 passengers who were coming to G-B from Rawalpindi.

The decision will be applicable on all private and public vehicles.

As part of the overall security plan chalked out ahead of the sacrificial holiday, the decision will be implemented rigorously to make sure no untoward incident takes place anywhere in the region.

Also, in G-B, the government has started registration of political and religious parties wishing to collect animal hides during Eid. The step has been taken so that banned militant outfits are not able to collect hides.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2013.