GILGIT, Nov 27: At least six people were killed and nine injured when a passenger wagon plunged into a ravine on Saturday night near the Bonar Farm Bridge, 100kms south of here, police sources said.

They said the wagon was on its way to Chilas from Gilgit when it plunged into the ravine near the bridge on the Karakoram Highway.

The dead were identified as Dr Hameedullah of Ghizer, Gushpur Khan, Jang Azam, Sherbaz Khan, Haneef Khan and Sher Azam, all residents of Darel tehsil of Diamer district.

The injured were included Haji Mustabar of Stak village, Sajjad, Ishtiaque, Qari Muhammad Danedar, all the residents of Chilas, Khushhal Khan of Darel, Khalifullah and Muhammad Sadiq of Goherabad, Ayub of Ghizer and wagon driver Muhammad Sharif.

The injured had been admitted to a hospital in Chilas where the condition of some injured persons was serious, police said.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: Proposals sought by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for empowerment of women in the Northern Areas will be submitted to the prime minister’s secretariat within a month.

Talking to newsmen here, Northern Areas Chief Secretary Imtiaz Hussain Kazi said that the empowerment of women and the Northern Areas legislative Council was under consideration of the federal government.

He said that he was satisfied with the performance of the peace jirga. The administration was working out modalities to accord the jirga’s peace pact a legal status, he added.

The chief secretary said the involvement of government employees were being monitored and their lists were being prepared by departments’ head and action would be taken against those found involved in sectarian politics.