Protests erupt across G-B against manhandling of traders

GILGIT: Protests erupted across Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) on Thursday after law enforcement agencies (LEAs) used tear gas to disperse hundreds of traders protesting the income and sales taxes collected at the Khunjerab border.

According to traders, the confrontation began around 2 am when youth from Nagar and Hunza arrived in Sost to show solidarity with the protesting traders amid rumours of an imminent operation. Clashes broke out near Dry Port Chowk, where police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel used tear gas and aerial firing, while protesters allegedly retaliated by throwing stones.

At least seven police personnel reportedly sustained minor injuries, while one driver with a head injury was referred to Gilgit for treatment. Security forces also detained four drivers from Nagar, accusing them of bringing convoys of supporters to the sit-in.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Hunza chapter president Rehan Shah, who has been present at the protest since day one, told HUM News English that the clashes began around 2 am as anticipated due to the large number of FC and police personnel present.

“At first, they [LEAs] tried to crack down, and around 3:15 am, they launched a massive operation. Initially, they used tear gas at the port checkpost. After that, they reached the sit-in site, and FC opened direct fire at us. The police then arrived and launched a massive crackdown,” he said.

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Shah added, “We have collected hundreds of empty tear gas shells. The tear gas used against us had expired by more than three to four years. We also have empty Kalashnikov bullet shells, and the bullet marks on the walls are visible.”

He said the situation persisted for more than two hours before the police and FC stepped back. “During the clashes, several protesters were injured.

“I personally saw three injured. The exact number of traders is unknown as they are being treated in secret places. We can’t take them to hospitals,” he added.

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Earlier, Hunza Superintendent of Police, Capt (R) Nabeel Ahmed, had maintained there was no plan to crack down on the sit-in. He explained that the security deployment aimed to arrest an individual accused of extorting traders at the customs and immigration facility. “We have requested the sit-in organisers to hand over the accused for investigation, but they have refused,” he said.

In an emergency press conference in Sost, traders alleged that police and FC personnel had not only used tear gas, but also opened direct fire on demonstrators during the night. Javed Hussain, a former president of the G-B Chamber of Commerce and a prominent businessman, said they were ready to hand over the accused individuals but claimed the police and FC resorted to aggression to sabotage their dialogue.

“We were near finalizing the dialogue, but the police resorted to a crackdown,” he said.

After the crackdown, protests erupted in more than a dozen locations across Gilgit, Hunza, and Nagar in response to the incident in Sost. In the Harespo area of Nagar, protesters stopped an additional police force sent to Sost from Gilgit.

CM POSTPONES VISIT TO HUNZA

Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan’s scheduled visit to Hunza has been postponed due to the law-and-order situation at the Pak-China border town of Sost.

The Chief Minister was scheduled to visit Nasirabad, Hassanabad, and Gulmit to review the disaster situation and meet with affected communities.

While speaking to the media in Gilgit, the G-B CM expressed his ignorance about the crackdown, stating that the government had not ordered any such action.

“We were in dialogue with them, and it was progressing smoothly. We did not order any crackdown,” he added.

In an official statement, Hunza police said the operation was related to the arrest of a suspect, Irfan, who was found involved in forcibly entering the Sost baggage area the previous day, the unauthorised removal/smuggling of goods, and the snatching of 2,000 rupees.

The statement said legal action was taken due to obstacles created in arresting the accused and that legal proceedings will continue until the suspect is apprehended.