MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 15: Residents of a hilly village in the south east of Muzaffarabad on Wednesday demanded of a health department official to get back from the army the ambulance which had been allotted for their basic health unit.

The demand was made by a delegation of the residents of Lamnian village, some 55 kilometres from here, through a petition they delivered to the district health officer, Muzaffarabad, Dr Malick Mohammad Ishaq, when he visited their area.

The ambulance was taken by the local army brigade four years ago on the pretext of using it because of an escalation along the Line of Control. However, despite a truce having been struck between Indian and Pakistani troops along the dividing line more than a year ago, the vehicle has not been returned aggravating the plight of the patients of the area.

The vehicle was badly damaged when it plunged into a field just across the army barrier in Lamnian two years ago and the villagers found it to be loaded with sawn timber as its doors had swung open after the accident.

The incident was also reported by the Special Branch in its daily secret report following which a probe into the incident was launched. However, whether any action was taken against the personnel responsible has not been made known to the public.

The delegation also made a reference to that incident during its meeting with the DHO. The DHO was also told that at least four of the patients had lost their lives while being taken to Muzaffarabad through public transport. The official assured the residents he would take up the matter with the authorities concerned as soon as possible.