Investigation finds no link to Khan’s party in fatal November 26 Rangers crash

A car crash that killed three paramilitary soldiers during a protest of the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in Pakistan’s capital has sparked controversy, with authorities ruling out political motives.

Thousands of protesters had surged into Islamabad last week, answering former prime minister Imran Khan's call to protest his sidelining from February elections he claims were rigged to prevent his comeback.

The government deployed hundreds of security forces to the capital, where they faced off with demonstrators attempting to occupy a public square, D-Chowk, near the parliament and the prime minister's residence.

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In a late-night operation on November 26, police and paramilitary forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters wielding sticks and slingshots, as roadblocks were set ablaze.

The car crash occurred on November 26 at 3 a.m., when a speeding SUV struck a group of Pakistan Rangers personnel stationed on the Srinagar Highway in Islamabad.

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif carry the coffin of a paramilitary soldier who was killed during clashes between security forces and protesters who were demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, at Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, November 26, 2024. Reuters

The crash coincided with a protest by the PTI, but investigations have since cleared the driver of any connection to the demonstrators.

Initially, police suggested a link between the fatal crash and the PTI convoy, which was six kilometers (four miles) behind the crash site. However, intelligence agencies and police now describe the incident as a tragic accident.

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Driver arrested

The driver, identified as Hashim Abbasi, was arrested hours after the crash using footage from Islamabad’s Safe City surveillance network. Hashim, a resident of the city’s affluent F-10 sector, is the grandson of Zafir Abbasi, a former senior official at Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior.

A view of a convoy by supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as they head towards Islamabad, during an anti-government rally, in Peshawar, Pakistan, November 24, 2024.Reuters

Relatives claim Hashim was struggling with addiction and had been prohibited from driving. “This was an unfortunate accident,” a family member told Nukta. “Hashim was under treatment, and we don’t know how he got hold of the vehicle.”

The crash left three Rangers personnel dead on the spot and three others seriously injured. The injured soldiers remain hospitalized in critical condition.

The crash has raised questions about law enforcement transparency. Despite the severity of the incident, no formal first information report (FIR) has been registered, and local police have not released key details.

Attempts by Nukta to obtain information from police, judicial authorities, and the Islamabad police spokesperson were met with silence. Sources claim the FIR remains incomplete pending internal investigations, fueling speculation about the case’s handling.