In a tragic incident this week in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a car ran over and killed two pro-Palestine protesters. The Islamabad police have now identified the driver as an army officer, who has been handed over to military authorities for further legal action.

The protesters had set up camp at the D-Chowk area of Islamabad, where they had been demonstrating for several days. On Monday, a speeding car plowed into the crowd, killing two protesters and injuring four others. The driver initially fled the scene but was quickly apprehended by the police.

“The driver who crushed two people to death was arrested from the scene and identified as an army officer,” stated Taqi Jawad, an Islamabad police spokesman. “He was nominated in the FIR [police report] and later handed over to the military police for further legal action.”

While the protesters condemned the incident, they vowed to continue their demonstrations, urging the Pakistani government to take stronger action in support of the Palestinian cause.

Lawyer Humaira Masihuddin told Arab News, “We feel that the State of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan should do far more than it has been doing till now.”

Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has repeatedly raised the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the United Nations. However, some protesters, like student Rabail Shahid, criticized the government’s failure to provide adequate security for the demonstrations in Islamabad’s highly secured Red Zone area.