Traffic remains disrupted as jirga continues KKH blockade

MANSEHRA: The Muttahida Kohistan Jirga continued the blockade of the Karakoram Highway for the third consecutive day on Friday.The protesters in Upper Kohistan demanded the immediate release of Maulana Kareemdad, who was arrested earlier this week under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

“The WAPDA has deviated from its agreements with the affectees of the Dasu Dam. When we raised this issue publicly, our jirga member and former aspirant for the National Assembly, Maulana Kareemdad, was arrested under Section 3 of the MPO,” Maulana Sakhidad told protesters gathered at Green Chowk in the Dasu area of Upper Kohistan.

The protesters raised slogans in support of their demands and against Wapda which they said failed to honour its commitments and attempted to create divisions among them

The protest demonstration, which was also addressed by Maulana Waliullah Tohidee, Malik Noorwali, Said Gul Badshah and others, caused the suspension of traffic on the Karakoram Highway.

The highway was already blocked at RMP Chowk in the Pattan area of Lower Kohistan around 10 a.m.“We warn WAPDA to honour its agreements made with locals between 2014 and 2022. We have even sacrificed the graveyards of our forefathers for Dasu dam,” Badshah said.

He added the jirga demanded the reconstruction of roads washed away in the 2022 floods, payments under the kitchen package, and free electricity for the people of Kohistan.Traffic on the Karakoram Highway at RMP Chowk in the Pattan area of Lower Kohistan remained suspended throughout the day. “We have deployed heavy contingents of force at sensitive places to deal with any untoward situation,” Taimur Khan, the district police officer of Lower Kohistan, told reporters.