January 01, 2008	Tuesday	Zilhaj 21, 1428

KARACHI, Dec 31: The smouldering wreckage of most of the over 150 heavy vehicles set ablaze the day former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi still lie along the Super Highway, particularly along the 20-kilometre stretch near Jamshoro.

Gutted 18-wheelers have blocked the highway at two places and the National Highway Authority is in the process of clearing the way with army troops guarding the workers.

An official on the site told Dawn that it would take two more days to completely clear the highway.

“The owners of the vehicles want the insurance companies to inspect the site before their gutted assets are removed,” he said.

The official said the scale of destruction was far greater than was being estimated. “I have never seen such a large number of heavy vehicles being set on fire,” he added.

Drivers and cleaners of the gutted vehicles said they had been stranded for the past three days and did not know when their vehicles would be removed.

Mohammed Ashraf, whose mustard seed-laden trailer (LSC-2971) was still partially in flames and mostly smouldering, said the mob also gave him a severe thrashing before they set fire to the vehicle.

He said he was taking the consignment to Sheikhupura from Karachi. “The vehicles coming from Jamshoro told us to turn around as a mob was coming from Jamshoro,” he said.

The driver said the mob got him and other drivers as they took a U-turn in panic.