By Shabbir Mir in The Express Tribune, Jan 11
GILGIT: As the blockade of the Karakoram Highway continued for the third consecutive day, the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government sent a delegation to Chilas on Tuesday to negotiate with protesters inflamed by sectarian killing.
The delegation led by G-B Health Minister Gulbar Khan, who belongs to Chilas, held negotiations with the protesters to reopen the highway for traffic. Their demands include the death penalty for Abdul Wakil’s murderer and compensation for the bereaved family, an official said.
Wakil, a resident of Chilas, was killed in Gilgit this week after the city witnessed a re-ignition of sectarian violence. At least two people were killed while four others were injured.
The KKH was blocked after Wakil’s body reached his native town three days ago. Hundreds of vehicles have since been stranded in Chilas on either side of the highway.
However, according to sources, the negotiations have failed as the protesters have rejected ‘official assurances’ and said they want to see justice done.
A source in Chilas also said that the protesters had linked the opening of the highway with the presence of the force commander and the chief secretary in Chilas, who can guarantee their demands are fulfilled.
In the recent past, a number of politicians had repeatedly warned the government that target killings in Gilgit on sectarian lines could lead to a fallout in other valleys, if not checked in time. The severity of the protest in Chilas has proved the apprehension was not unfounded.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehdi Shah has dispelled the impression that his government has failed to deliver. “Anybody who links the law and order situation to our resignation is certainly misled,” he told reporters.http://tribune.com.pk/story/319458/justice-for-murder-victim-protesters-refuse-to-clear-karakoram-highway-till-demands-are-met/
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