ISLAMABAD: The federal government has constituted a high level committee to investigate the violent incidents that occurred during protests in Gilgit-Baltistan on March 1, 2026, which resulted in deaths, injuries and damage to public and private property.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control on March 11, 2026, and published in the Gazette of Pakistan, the inquiry body has been formed following what the government described as a deterioration in the law and order situation in Gilgit-Baltistan during large scale demonstrations.

The notification termed the events of March 1 an unfortunate incident and directed the committee to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unrest.

The committee will be headed by Special Secretary Interior Dawood Muhammad Bareach. Other members include Commandant National Police Academy Muhammad Idrees Ahmad and Joint Secretary Interior Tariq Salam Marwat, who will serve as the secretary of the committee. Representatives from Inter Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence will also be part of the body.

The committee has been tasked with examining the factors that led to the protests, including the triggers behind the demonstrations, patterns of mobilization and the response of the civil administration and law enforcement agencies.

It will also assess the preparedness and performance of the authorities, determine any lapses, negligence or coordination gaps, and evaluate the scale of damage caused to public and private property, including government installations.

In addition, the committee will recommend corrective measures, accountability mechanisms and preventive safeguards to avoid similar incidents in the future. It will also suggest ways to strengthen intelligence coordination, improve crowd management and enhance crisis response mechanisms in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The inquiry body has been authorized to co opt relevant officials, seek records from concerned departments and obtain any assistance required for the investigation. It has been directed to submit its report along with recommendations within 30 days.

In a separate communication dated March 11, the Ministry of Interior also requested the directors general of Inter Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence to nominate their representatives for inclusion in the committee.

The protests in Gilgit-Baltistan on March 1 were part of demonstrations held in several areas following reports of US and Israeli strikes on Iran that resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In Gilgit and Skardu, clashes between protesters and security forces left several people dead and many others injured, while public buildings and installations were damaged during the unrest.

Authorities later deployed additional security forces, imposed a curfew in parts of Gilgit, Skardu and Shigar and initiated measures to restore law and order in the region.

The formation of the inter agency committee indicates the federal government’s move to investigate the causes of the violence, review the official response and propose measures to prevent similar incidents in the future in Gilgit-Baltistan.