The incident haunts people and still taxes their imagination as to why so much ammunition was dumped at the junction of two cities. As nobody was made accountable for the disaster the conspiracy theories refuse to go away. It was April 10, 1988 and no morning could be more normal than on that day as people were going about their daily lives.
Then all hell broke lose, Ojhri camp at Faizabad started belching fire as the military's ammunition depot there set ablaze firing off missiles of all sorts. Many people thought the city was under attack, as missiles raced past hapless and terrified citizens on the busy Murree Road and surrounding areas of Rawalpindi.
The peace of the city was ruptured with loud blasts as hundreds of missiles and rockets hit the peripheries of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The missiles killed and injured people, damaged houses, hit vehicles and shook buildings. Why the ammunition dump caught fire is still a mystery for those who saw a trail of destruction beyond their wildest thoughts.
Over hundred people, mostly living close to the depot lost their lives. A large number of houses were badly damaged. The city felt doomed and citizens cowered and prayed as desperate parents left homes to pick up their children from schools without caring for their lives.
The children in schools who were trapped for hours were stunned at what had befallen the city. The city came to a standstill and as the chaos continued people kept on wondering about the fate of their loved ones. As it was before the advent of mobile phones, those were anxious hours as people set out in search of their missing relatives and friends.
M.K. Naqshbandi, a journalist, while talking to this agency said the incident of Ojhri Camp was unforgettable and it brings back the painful memories of the large-scale destruction.
The prominent among those killed was a federal minister, Khaqan Abbasi, whose car was hit by a flying missile while he was on his way to his hometown Murree. His son, Zahid Khaqan Abbasi, who received head injuries, went into deep coma and later died after remaining on artificial respiration for 14 years.
A huge pile of ammunition especially missiles were dumped underground at the site, invisible from the eyes of the locals, Naqshbandi said. Generally such dumps are located away from the population centres but when this site was established, the area was deserted. Later localities of Faizabad, Dhoke Kala Khan and some other small dwellings sprang up.
There were different versions about the incident. First, it was a conspiracy but according to the other view claimed by Zia regime, it was an accident and some missiles exploded, putting all ammunition on fire, Naqshbandi said. Although the matter was inquired by the government and military forces, no report was made public to this day, he added.
The journalist and an eye-witness of the incident was of the view that the government must probe into the incident and reveal facts to put to rest all speculation and confusion still lurking in the minds of the people about the sad episode.