ISLAMABAD: The General Secretary of the Arja Traders Association, Sardar Nasir Arbab, and his cousin Hassam were allegedly held at gunpoint and subjected to more than six hours of torture by 20 to 25 masked members of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee before being abandoned in a critically injured condition on the roadside.
According to details, the incident took place near Jandala Cross, where members of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee had allegedly blocked the main road by felling a tree. The blockade reportedly left an ambulance carrying a dead body stranded.
Sardar Nasir Arbab, accompanied by several local youths, reached the site to help clear the road and allow the ambulance to pass. However, members of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee allegedly opened indiscriminate fire before stopping Arbab and his cousin at gunpoint.
The two men were reportedly beaten and dragged along the road towards Rawalakot until Hallan Bazaar. They were then allegedly forced into a Hiace vehicle waiting at the location and taken to Paniola, where they were subjected to further torture until around 6:00am.
According to the account, Arbab and Hassam repeatedly pleaded with their captors to stop the assault, but they continued to beat them, accusing Arbab of cooperating with the administration by arranging food for officials.
Sardar Nasir Arbab reportedly lost consciousness due to the severity of the assault. The attackers later abandoned both victims in a semi-conscious condition near Hallan Bazaar before fleeing the area.
The incident has sparked widespread anger among traders and residents of Arja. The traders’ community has announced that it will soon hold a press conference to formally disassociate itself from the banned Joint Awami Action Committee and announce its future course of action.
Local traders have condemned the incident and called for immediate action against those responsible, describing the assault as a serious attack on the business community and public order.
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