GILGIT: Police registered an FIR on Monday against officials of Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) for allegedly manhandling Health Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, GB Assembly Member Fazal Rahim, their gunman and driver on under-construction Gilgit-Skardu road.

The FIR was registered by Astak police station on the complaint of health minister, who alleged that he along with his son, bodyguard, driver and Fazal Rahim was going in his official vehicle to Gilgit from Skardu on Sunday when the officials misbehaved with them.

“The FWO workers had closed the road to traffic near Astak police station in Roundu. They were repairing the road. They told us that the road would be reopened at 5:30pm. We went back to Astak checkpost to wait for reopening of the road,” said Haji Gulber Khan.

He said that they came to the spot at 5pm but the road was still closed.

He said that they parked the vehicle on the roadside where other vehicles were already parked.

He said that the FWO officials misbehaved with them and told them to turn back the vehicle. The driver and gunman told them that two GB ministers were sitting in the official vehicle having national flag on it, he added.

The minster alleged that the FWO officials used foul language about the national flag and elected representatives. “Some FWO personnel in uniform and some without uniform having iron rods and weapons arrived and abducted us. They took us to a nearby camp and tortured us physically,” he added.

The minister said that they were kept in captivity at the camp for two hours. “They threatened to kill us and throw our bodies into the river. We were also forced to sign a truce document,” he added.

He said that some police officials from Astak came there and rescued them. He demanded action against FWO’s Capt Usman and other workers for violation law.

It is pertinent to mention here that currently FWO is working on expansion and repairing of Gilgit-Skardu road.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2021