JUI-F threatens to block KKH

MANSEHRA: Member of central executive committee (Shura) of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and former senator Hidayatuallh Shah on Sunday said his party would block the Karakoram Highway (KKH) to traffic if the government attempted to stop the Azadi March.

“We are peaceful and would remain peaceful. And if the government tried to stop our peaceful march, we would block Karakorum Highway to all sort of traffic for the indefinite period,” he told a news conference here. Flanked by officer-bearers of his party in Mansehra, he said that the country’s constitution allows them to exercise their democratic right to a peaceful assembly and protest.

“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, which claims to be a champion of sit-in and staged the longest ever sit-in in history of country should also respect the democratic right of others and never create hurdles to our Azadi March,” he said.

Hidayatuallh Shah, who is also deputy head of his party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that the provincial executive body of his party was meeting on Monday to decide future strategy if the government attempted to stop JUI-F from holding Azadi March.Passengers stranded as Babusar Top yet to reopen for traffic

The traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, which was blocked because of the heavy snowfall in Kaghan valley on Saturday, remained suspended on the second consecutive day on Sunday.

The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) road, which was blocked near Babusar top following heavy snowfall, couldn’t be reopened to traffic as a result of which passengers remained stranded in Kaghan valley. The Mansehra-Naran section of MNJ road was opened to traffic but the policemen deployed at various posts in Kaghan valley have not been allowing tourists and passengers to move ahead to GB through Babusar top.

Also in the day, the personnel of Karakoram force, who have been appointed on contract, have demanded the release of their salaries. Speaking to reporters, they said that the government had not been paying their salaries for the last five consecutive months. “Over 450 policemen, who have been deployed for the safety of passengers on KKH, are without salary for the last five months,” one of the personnel said.