Gilgit (Pakistan-occupied Territory): People of Gilgit-Baltistan, which is under illegal occupation of Pakistan, are up in arms against the Pakistan Army ever since a vehicle driven by a Major brutally crushed 3 children to death and critically wounded 3 others on the day of Eid festival on April 22.
There is widespread anger among the locals as the Pakistan Establishment, especially the Army, is trying to save the guilty officer from punishment.
The locals have warned of a full-fledged agitation if no action is taken against the guilty officer within 15 days beginning yesterday.
The apprehension among the locals that the guilty officer is being saved emanates from the fact that the FIR registered does not mention any names.
The heart-rending incident took place on last Saturday in Brah Valley Ganchhe in Baltistan when the children, in the age group of 6-8 years, were enjoying the Eid festival by the roadside.
According to eyewitnesses and other locals, the SUV being driven by the unidentified Major was moving at top speed despite the road being narrow.
It hit the children along the flank of the road, killing the children in a gruesome manner, the eyewitnesses said.
The scene was extremely gory, with the brains and other internal parts of the children popping out of their bodies and getting strewn on the road.
Some senior Army officials, including the Corps Commander, who visited the place of the incident and tried to pacify the families of the deceased and wounded children faced angry and agitated locals, who said they will settle for nothing less than punishment to the culprit officer.
The Corps Commander was bluntly told by the locals yesterday that they want action against the guilty military officer and if nothing happens in 15 days, they would hit the streets in protest.
Gilgit-Baltistan, which is a part of undivided Jammu and Kashmir, has been under illegal occupation of Pakistan ever since its armed invasion in 1947.
The Pakistani military has been ruling the region with brute force, denying any democratic rights to the people there.
In fact, the incident of April 22 is not first of its kind.
There have been several such incidents, wherein the military vehicles crush local people under their wheels. And every time, the culprits are saved by the Establishment, providing impunity to the military personnel.
