Guiding the gunmen: Suspected drivers of Nanga Parbat assailants arrested

Believed to have dropped off the militants till Buner Nullah in their car.

GILGIT:

The two men who allegedly drove the assailants of foreign trekkers camping at the base of Nanga Parbat in their car have been arrested in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), police said on Wednesday.

In June this year, gunmen disguised as Gilgit Scouts killed 10 foreign trekkers and their Pakistani guide. The militants had reportedly abducted two local guides to take them to the remote camp. Habibur Rahman and Muhammad Alam, residents of Chilas Town, are believed to have driven the assailants as far as Buner Nullah, the last point before Nanga Parbat beyond which the road ends. It is one of the three access points which the terrorists followed to reach the base camp – after a trek of nearly 10 hours.



“They (the suspects) have been arrested from Niyat village and booked under clauses of the Anti-Terrorism Act,” said a police official in Chilas, headquarters of Diamer Valley.

The vehicle used for the purpose has also been seized from the residence of Habibur Rahman. The police official claimed Muhammad Alam assisted Rahman in dropping off the gunmen to Buner Nullah, which is about 40 kilometres from Chilas town.

Superintendent Police Jhangir Khan, who was part of the investigation team until recently, said the men were arrested some days back following information received from intelligence agencies.

Federal minister Birjis Tahir had earlier claimed all the accused involved in the massacre had been arrested.

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