Protesters suspend work on Hazara Expressway

MANSEHRA: The people of Battal and its adjoining union councils on Monday took to streets and got suspended construction work on Hazara Expressway to demand an interchange at Harain-Oghi road on Monday.

“If this interchange is built at Hazara expressway it would not only link Battal and its adjoining union councils with rest of Hazara but people of Oghi and Darband tehsils would benefit from it,” Dr Zaheer Khan Swati, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader told protesters. The protesters who had gathered at Harain area raised slogans in support of their demands. Swati said that if an interchange at Harain-Oghi road was not immediately approved, people would get suspended construction work on Hazara Expressway for an indefinite period in protest.

“We have given our agriculture and residential lands and even graves of our forefathers for Hazara Expressway but the government has deprived us of road facilities which is unacceptable to us at any cost,” he said.

Maulana Nasir Mehmood, the district general secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, said that an interchange at Harain-Oghi road was included in master plan but later the company working on Hazara Expressway excluded it which was unacceptable to them.

“We have already taken the issue with company concerned and local lawmakers but to no avail and if this demand was not met within a week, we would block construction work on the project indefinitely,” he threatened.