GILGIT, March 27: Masked gunmen on Tuesday attacked a policy party injuring two policemen and taking with them a prisoner who was being taken to hospital.

The prisoner was handed life imprisonment in a murder case of secretariat employee Anwar Jan by the anti-terrorist court.

“There were five to six attackers, who were wearing masks. Police retaliated but the assailants escaped along with the accused after our two colleagues were injured in the fire,” said constable Hussain Ali, who reached the city police station to report the incident.

The policeman said the accused was a drug addict and was taken to the DHQ hospital off and on for treatment.

Mr Ali said two police constables, Syed Nazir and Fazal Ilahi, were injured, who were hospitalised.

The firing echoed in nearby mountains creating panic among the residents.

ROAD PROJECTS: Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah has directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to speed up construction and overhauling of roads in the region.

An official source the regional head of NHA Abdullah Jan was instructed to complete the ongoing projects of roads within stipulated time.

The chief minister also directed completing widening of the spillway of Atabad lake.

SHOT DEAD: Unknown people opened indiscriminate fire on a retired employee of Nadra in Napura area late Sunday night, police said.

Police identified him as Khush Mohammad and said he was instantly removed to DHQ hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries there. His body was handed over to his heirs after postmortem. Police said a case had been registered against unknown people and investigation got underway.