Babusar tragedy:funeral prayer of 10 deceased offered

Hundreds of people participated in funeral prayers in a tight security arrangement.The deceased were laid to rest later in their native graveyards.Before funeral prayers, people protested against the brutal killing of Shia community.On Thursday, a dozen masked gunmen dragged off some 25 travelers from three busses going to Astore town of Gilgit from Rawalpindi, and killed them at point blank range in the northwestern district of Mansehra.Officials said it was an ambush in the hills of Babusar Top.The victims were pulled from three separate vehicles. After checking their ID cards, they opened fire and at least 25 people have been killed.It was the third such incident in six months.The sorrowful incident of Babusur that claimed lives of 20 passengers resulted in tense environment in Gilgit-Baltistan that continued even on Saturday.Trade centres, educational institutions and offices remained closed while there is partial strike in all the districts including Sakardu and Gilgit. The people in several areas are confined to their houses.Seven bodies have reached Astore where they were placed on road to record protest.The demonstrators have demanded of the authorities to arrest the accused at the earliest.Qari Hanif and Hamidullah who were killed in the incident have been buried in Sakardu and Shangar respectively.The security is on high alert at mosques, Imam Bargahs, and sensitive places while checkposts have also been established at entry and exit points of Gilgit-Baltistan.