Ojhri Camp

Ojhri Camp (Urdu: اوجھڑی کیمپ‎) was a military storage center located in Rawalpindi Military District in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan, and the site of the 1988 Ojhri Camp disaster.

On April 10, 1988 the camp, which was used as an ammunition depot for Afghan mujahideen fighting against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, exploded, killing many in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as a result of rockets and other munitions expelled by the blast.[1][2] At the time, the New York Times reported more than 93 were killed and another 1,100 wounded;[3] many believe that the toll was much higher.[4]

Defense Department officials said that they believed that the explosion was the work of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul,[3] but there was also speculation that the explosion was done by Pakistani agents to cover up a pilferage of the weapons stocks, including Stinger missiles.[5]

Khaqan Abbasi, Father of Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Senator Saadia Khaqan Abbasi also died in the disaster as his car was hit by a missile, while his son Zahid Khaqan Abbasi was hit on the head, after which he went into coma and died in 2005, having remained bedridden for 17 years. [6] [7]

References

  1. ↑ Kamal Siddiqi (1998-04-14). "Ojhri disaster saw end of Junejo govt: Report". Archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  2. ↑ "Pakistan Refuses To Release 1988 Blast Reports To – Pakistani Military & Strategic Discussion Forum – Pakistani Defence Forum". Forum.pakistanidefence.com. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  3. 1 2 Gordon, Michael R. (1988-04-17). "U.S. Officials Link Pakistan Blast to Kabul Regime". Pakistan; Afghanistan: NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  4. ↑ "Ojhri disaster saw end of Junejo govt: Report". The Indian Express. 14 April 1998. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "20 years on, Ojhri Camp truth remains locked up - Newspaper". Dawn.Com. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  6. ↑ {https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaqan_Abbasi}
  7. ↑ {https://www.dawn.com/news/241557}

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