ISLAMABAD: The driver of a car, which ran over and killed two pro-Palestine protesters in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad this week, has been identified as an army officer and handed over to the military police, the Islamabad police said on Saturday.
The protesters have set up their camps at D-Chowk in the Pakistani capital for the past several days. On Monday, a speeding car ran over a few demonstrators, killing two of them and injuring four others.
The driver of the car had sped away from the scene, but was arrested by the police shortly afterwards.
“The driver who crushed two people to death [on Jinnah Avenue] was arrested from the scene and identified as an army officer,” Taqi Jawad, an Islamabad police spokesman, told Arab News.
“He was nominated in the FIR [police report] and later handed over to the military police for further legal action.”
While the protesters condemned the incident, they said this week it would not dampen their spirits and they would continue to urge the government to do more about Israeli military actions in Palestine.
“We feel that the State of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan should do far more than it has been doing till now,” Humaira Masihuddin, a lawyer, told Arab News on Tuesday.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and supports an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. In recent months, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue of Israel’s war in Gaza at the United Nations through its permanent representative.
Rabail Shahid, a student, criticized the government for failing to provide security to the protesters in Islamabad.
“This incident happened here, I cannot even imagine, and [that too] in the Red Zone, in this Red Zone, which is a highly, strictly secured area,” she said.
Motorist who killed two pro-Palestine protesters in Islamabad identified as army officer — police
https://arab.news/rgvch
Motorist who killed two pro-Palestine protesters in Islamabad identified as army officer — police
- Protesters encamped at Islamabad’s D-Chowk for several days to raise awareness about the Gaza war
- Earlier this week, a speeding car lost control and ran over several demonstrators, killing two of them
Pakistan backs ‘One-China’ policy amid renewed Taiwan tensions
- Foreign Office calls China ‘iron-clad’ friend and strategic partner
- Taiwan is claimed by Beijing but governs itself as a democracy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Friday expressed support for China, saying the country would adhere to the “One-China principle,” with Taiwan regarded as part of Chinese territory.
The development comes after Beijing intensified military pressure with large-scale live-fire drills and simulated blockade exercises near the island, viewed as a show of force to deter foreign support for Taiwan’s independence. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and seeks eventual reunification, but Taiwan operates as a self-governing democracy that resists Beijing’s control.
Addressing a media query, Andrabi described Pakistan and China as “iron-clad” friends and “all-weather strategic cooperative partners.”
“We reiterate our consistent support for China on all matters of its core interests, including Taiwan,” he added. “We will continue to adhere to the One-China principle and regard Taiwan as an inalienable part of China.”
Beijing launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coast guard vessels earlier this week to encircle Taiwan. The show of force came after the United States approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan.
The United States has been committed for decades to ensuring Taiwan’s self-defense, while staying ambiguous on whether the US military would intervene in an invasion.
China’s latest exercises were the sixth major round of maneuvers since 2022, when a visit to Taiwan by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged Beijing.
These developments have heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, raising concerns about regional stability and the risk of conflict.
