GILGIT, Oct 16: Thousands of people staged demonstrations here on Sunday to condemn the killings in Gilgit. In Thursday’s incident, 12 people, including two personnel of the Rangers and four women, were shot dead and over 100 civilians were wounded in cross-firing between mobs and security forces.

The largest gathering was held at Sikanderabd, some 65kms north of Gilgit, where protesters demanded immediate replacement of the Rangers from Gilgit, accusing them of being hostile to the majority community in the region. However, the protesters expressed no resentment against the detention of four clerics who have been shifted to Rawalpindi on Sunday.

Sources said angry protesters staged a sit-in in Danyore for two consecutive days on the Karakoram Highway for five hours where they condemned the killings in Gilgit.

The traffic on the KKH also remained thin after mobs targeted them at various points. Over a dozen cars and trucks were pelted with stones on the highway and the unruly mobs torched a lorry belonged to N. Areas Transport Corporation and set a tuck shop belonged to FWO on fire in Matumdass.

Councillors demanded the deployment of the Northern Scouts in place of the Rangers.

SUNNI PROTESTS: Thousands of Sunni followers in Jaglote and Chilas blocked the Karakoram Highway and demanded release of their detained leaders. The protesters swelled on the KKH in the morning put barricades on the highway thereby suspending traffic on the road.