HARIPUR: The bodies of the 18 missing passengers of the boat capsize tragedy are still untraced even one year after the incident happened on July 3, 2019. However, the families are still hopeful they will receive the corpses of their dear ones one day for an honourable burial.

“Whenever I get spare time I visit the point where the boat sank and continue to gaze the spot for hours in search of bodies but every time I return disappointed,’’ said Naeem Khan from Bait Gali village whose family lost four persons in the tragedy.

A passenger boat carrying 38 passengers, 35 goats and six oxen, according to Mohammad Wazir, one of the surviving passengers, got sunk at the usually flooded Chandani Chowk spot.

A boat carrying 38 people had capsized in Tarbela lake on July 3 last year

Gulzada Khan, one of the passengers who were rescued, said the cause of the accident was overloading and swelling waters at the point in the Tarbela lake.

Gulzada Khan said when the overloaded boat was crossing the usually flooded point it lost balance and the oxen started jumping off which resulted in its sinking near Guliman Banda Brug.

According to the official list issued from the deputy commissioner’s office, there were total 38 passengers, including three boatmen, six women, eight children and 21 men of different age groups. Majority of the passengers were from Torghar, Shangla, Darband and Bait Bali area of Haripur.

The divers from Rescue 1122, Wapda, the Army and the Navy continued search and rescue operation for over 20 days, but to no avail.

However, the families of the missing passengers have expressed dissatisfaction over the rescue operation launched by the district administration and the future safety measures announced soon after the accident.

TORTURE IN CUSTODY: The Khanpur police have been accused of torturing a man during custody.

Talking to mediapersons on Friday, Mohammad Mushtaq, a resident of Dhuniyan Khanpur village, alleged that his two cousins, Naveed, Tariq and brother, Ishtiaq were charged in an FIR on June 15 by one of their relatives, Bakhshish Elahi for injuring him over some family dispute.

However, he said the three had obtained bail before arrest from court which was cancelled on June 30, and they were arrested from the courtroom.

He said the court granted the police their three-day physical remand for investigation.

Mushtaq said the police subjected Naveed, 36, to severe torture, as a result he collapsed. Later, he was shifted to Khanpur Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, wherefrom the doctors referred him to Haripur Trauma Centre.

According to Dr Aun, the casualty medical officer, the blood pressure of the accused was low due to which he fainted. He said his ECG was also conducted and it was normal.

Mushtaq said the torture victim informed the doctor on duty that he was subjected to torture but he did not bother to examine him properly and document the torture marks.

According to police sources, the accused had been shifted back to the Khanpur police station soon after the examination at the trauma centre.

When contacted, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Zaman, the investigation officer, denied torturing the accused, saying Naveed collapsed due to low blood pressure.

Meanwhile, DPO Syed Ashfaq Anwar took notice of the torture complaint and started an inquiry himself.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2020