Six held, KKH traffic slows to a crawl after Chilas bus attack

• Home minister says ‘tough decisions’ taken to deal with militants
• Transporters suspend coach services to GB; protests against militant activity

According to a local police official, six individuals have been arrested in relation to an assault on a passenger bus in the Chilas area of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district.

At least nine people, including two soldiers, were killed and 21 passengers were injured when unknown attackers fired at a bus heading towards Rawalpindi. The gunfire caused the bus to collide with a goods truck.

Transporters have stopped bus services from Rawalpindi to GB districts. They are demanding better security for both vehicles and passengers.

An official of Diamer police told Dawn that six locals have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack and an FIR has been registered.

Not a ‘sectarian attack’

According to GB Home Minister Shams Lone, the recent attack was different from previous incidents in the region, as it was not a sectarian attack but rather a terrorist attack where people from different areas and sects were killed.

He said the locals of Diamer “rejected such attacks by a handful of miscreants”.

The minister held out the assurance that the GB government has taken “tough decisions” to deal with militants and “all culprits will be arrested soon”.

He added that religious scholars from all sects, civil society and political parties have condemned the attack.

According to Mr. Lone, the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Gulbar Khan, along with Maj Gen Kashif Khalil of Force Command Northern Areas and other high-ranking officials, have arrived in Chilas to participate in the funeral of the individuals who lost their lives in the attack.

The chief minister has also announced a compensation of Rs1 million for the deceased, Rs500,000 for the seriously injured and Rs300,000 for other injured passengers.

He said that passenger vehicles would travel through Diamer during the daytime. The convoys of five to 10 vehicles will be escorted by security personnel.

He assured that the government’s writ would be restored and the attackers would be arrested.

Protests in GB

Security forces in the region have been placed on a state of heightened alert, while the Karakoram Highway (KKH) continues to experience a suspension of traffic after the attack. This has resulted in the stranding of passengers, including tourists, on both sides of Diamer.

Vehicles were later allowed to travel through Diamer during the day in small convoys.

Protests against the incident were also held in Chilas, Gilgit, Skardu, and Hunza. GB transporters also observed a wheel-jam strike across the region.

The region’s transporters association president said this was not the first attack on a bus in GB and demanded protection for vehicles moving on KKH.

Condemnation

In a statement, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar affirmed that anti-state elements would not be allowed to sabotage peace in GB.

According to the state-run Radio Pakistan, the premier condemned the attack and said the war against terrorism would continue till the complete elimination of terrorism.

He expressed deep grief over the loss of innocent lives and added that targeting unarmed civilians was proof of the terrorists’ cowardice.

Bus service suspended

Transporters have suspended the bus service from Rawalpindi to 10 districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, saying the service will not be resumed until security is provided.

Malik Shahbaz, the general secretary of the Pakistan Transporter Welfare Association, informed Dawn that on a daily basis, approximately 150 to 200 coaches and buses provide transportation services from Rawalpindi to 10 GB districts.

He claimed that only one security official on a motorcycle is deputed to escort the convoy of buses along the 50-kilometre-long stretch of the KKH in Chilas.

“The public transport service will remain suspended until the provision of foolproof security to Gilgit-bound buses,” Mr Shahbaz said.

The Pakistan Association of Tour Operators also condemned the attack and said the act of violence not only resulted in the loss of innocent lives but had a profound impact on the tourism industry as well. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy.”