KOHISTAN LOWER: The people of Lower Kohistan took to streets and blocked Karakoram Highway to traffic for more than four hours to protest delay in repair of roads and other infrastructure destroyed in flashfloods in the district.
“The road leading to Ranowalia and other parts of the district are still blocked even after three weeks of flashfloods but district administration has failed to reopen those roads,” Maulana Said Umar told protesters in Dubair area of the district on Monday.
Mulana Said Umar, Mulana Amir Akbar, Haji Malak Misar Khan, Haji Malak Saranzeeb, Mulana Azam and Mulana ajmal addressed the protesters.
The protesters staged a sit-in at KKH blocking it to traffic as a result of which the passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan remained stranded on both sides of the road.
“There is a severe shortage of food and other essential commodities in various villages affected by the recent rains and flashfloods,” said Maulana Umar.
Maulana Amir Akbar, another speaker, said that roads, bridges and houses were washed away by floods but district administration was yet to launch the relief and rehabilitation operation in the affected parts of Lower Kohistan.
The protesters were dispersed peacefully following the deputy commissioner of Lower Kohistan rushed to the sit-in and assured them that reconstruction of roads and other infrastructure destroyed by rains and floods would be started soon.
