Correspondent – Usman Zakria has been appointed Inspector General Police (IGP) after suspension of Hussain Asghar by the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on the Supreme Court orders. Zakria has serve on several important positions including FIA senior officer. He is a retire captain and has honored  Police Quaid-e-Azam Medal.

The police and jail authorities of Gilgit have been accused of torturing three progressive youth activists being held in Gilgit Jail.

The news came after the relatives and the lawyer of the three activists — Progressive Youth Movement Chief Organiser Baba Jan, Iftikhar Hussain and Ameer Khan — complained to the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hussain Akhtar on Thursday. They asked the IGP to take action against a superintendent of police, a deputy superintendent of police, a station house officer and a deputy superintendent of Gilgit Jail for torturing the three activists, and preventing them from meeting their family members and their lawyer.

The counsel for the three activists, advocate Ehsan Ali, said last week he visited the jail to see his clients after being “repeatedly denied the right” by the jail authorities. He claimed that the three men had injuries on their faces and shoulders, adding that they are in urgent need of medical attention.

“Denying a lawyer to meet his counsel in jail is a violation of human rights,” said Ali. “As per the jail manual, we have the right to see our clients and the prisoners too have certain rights inside the jail,” he said.

Ali claimed that the activists were tortured because they attempted to instigate the prisoners in Gilgit Jail to raise voice against injustices they face at the hands of police and jail authorities. He added that if the IGP did not respond to the complaint, he will be forced to move the court for justice.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court in Gilgit allowed medical checkups of the three detainees.

The three activists were among the estimated 100 people arrested last year for ransacking a police station and torching government offices in Hunza. They were protesting against the killing of a disaster-hit man and son in August last year during a clash between the police and the people affected by the Attabad Lake.

The activists were booked under the anti-terrorism act, however, all but these three activists remain in jail.

When contacted, Gilgit Deputy Commissioner Arkam Tariq said he was unaware of any torture meted out to the detainees inside the jail. “I am not aware of any such incident, but I can assure you that a fair inquiry will be conducted,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune

Despite shoot-to-kill orders issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government to restore peace, the capital city was swept by a fresh wave of violence after armed men killed one person and injured three others in broad daylight on Saturday.

This week, four persons were killed, including a deputy superintendent police (DSP) and four others were injured. Rizwan, a resident of Kashrote who was injured in an ambush some days ago, died in the hospital, provoking the already charged people who took to the streets in protest.

An hour after the first death, Hamid Karim, a resident of Nagral, was ambushed by unidentified men on Ahsan Ali Road near Kashrote. He was immediately taken to the hospital where his condition is stated to be serious.

In yet another incident, Abdul Wakil, a resident of Chilas was shot dead by unidentified armed men near Nagral Imambargah, where a resident of Astore also came under fire. The incidents triggered panic in the city which became completely deserted as news spread.

“Shoot-to-kill orders have been issued for Rangers and Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts,” confirmed Deputy Commissioner Gilgit Asad Zamin.

Assistant inspector general police G-B, said several suspects had been arrested and were being investigated. “The situation is under control and we will bring the perpetrators to justice.”

The provincial government has recruited slain DSP Muhammad Ibrahim’s son, Tariq Hussainm, as an ASI in the police force. While addressing a ceremony at the police recruitment centre, Chief Secretary G-B Saifullah Chatha said the killers would be arrested soon. He said Ibrahim’s family would also receive financial assistance.

The DSP was killed by armed men on Wednesday night in front of his house in Nagral, after duty hours. He was one of three men attacked by the terrorists in the city that day.

Ibrahim had been working in the investigation wing for the past two years in Gilgit. The same day, Aziz Ahmed was shot and injured by armed men. His condition was stated to be critical.

Police said four people have been arrested for interrogation and also claimed to have nabbed three suspects for the DSP’s murder. Earlier, Superintendent Police Gilgit, Wasil Khan had said it was premature to say if it was a sectarian-motivated killing.

Published in The Express Tribune

Source (Rehan Khan Gilgiti – Thenews) The Gilgit-Baltistan region has become a hunting ground for shooters. It used to be a peaceful and serene place. But the curse of sectarian violence after the ruthless 1998 massacre enormously weakened the social fabric of Gilgit-Baltistan. A new wave of sectarian riots swept across its length on January 8, 2011 when a religious leader was shot dead in cold blood. Since then, the area has been converted into a battlefield where people kill each other in the name of religion. A walk in the evening on the roads of Gilgit city can prove an open invitation to murder.

The government of Gilgit-Baltistan is playing the role of a mere spectator in all this.