Ojhri Camp
Ojhri Camp (Urdu: اوجھڑی کیمپ; widely reported as 1988 Ojhri Camp disaster in media) occurred at a military storage center located in Rawalpindi Military District in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan on April 10, 1988. It was used as an ammunition depot for Afghan Mujahideen fighting against Soviet forces from Afghanistan. The camp exploded on April 10, 1988, killing more than 1,000 people [1][2] in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as a result of rockets and other munitions expelled by the blast.Recently begum kalsom saifullah,a seasoned politician and mother of salim saifullah accounted in his autobiography “my solo flight” the incident,in following words “I can confidently say that some Stinger missiles were taken out of the Ojhri Camp on orders from General Zia so that they can be provided to Iran, and Gen Zia ordered that Ojhri Camp be blown up before the arrival of the US inspection team.”[citation needed]
US officials blamed sabotage for the explosion.[3] There was speculation that the explosion was done by Pakistani agents to cover up a pilferage of the weapons stocks, including Stinger missiles.[4] There are also allegations that the explosion was carried out by the Soviet KGB in retaliation for Pakistan's aid to the Mujahideen.[5]
[edit] References
http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/18/begum-saifullahs-book-lands-like-minded-in-trouble.html
[edit] External links
- BBC.co.uk ojhri_faraz_memoir (Urdu)
- Remembering the Ojhri Camp Blast
- 20 years on, Ojhri Camp truth remains locked up
- Ojhri disaster saw end of Junejo govt: Report
