Driver accused of running over Gaza protestors in Islamabad handed over to Military Police

ISLAMABAD: A driver involved in hit and run case on Islamabad’s Jinnah Avenue which resulted in the death of two people has been handed over to the Military Police for legal proceedings as he turned out to be a lieutenant of the Pakistan Army.

Four people, including a police inspector, were also injured as the vehicle ran over the sleeping protestors of the ‘Save Gaza Campaign’ just outside the Red Zone on Jinnah Avenue in solidarity with Gaza. “At around 2:45 am, a speeding car appeared on the road, ran over five participants, and then crashed into a police barricade, hitting the inspector [on duty].”

Subsequently, a case was registered at the Kohsar police station under sections 322, 337-G, 427, and 279 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the driver.

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Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad said the driver was a lieutenant in the army and the son of a brigadier. He was handed over to the MP for further legal action, the spokesperson said, adding that the senior army officer also resigned from the army after the incident.

According to the police, the car involved in the accident was registered in the name of the accused’s father. After the arrest of the driver, his father also reached the police station and made attempts to influence the police for the release of his son.

However, after the Military Police and other departments of the army learned about the incident, they arrived at the police station and took custody of the lieutenant.