Court summons authorities over change in road project

MANSEHRA: A local court has summoned chief minister’s special adviser on population, Ahmad Hussain Shah, chief engineer and sub-divisional officers of Communication and Works Department and head of Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on changing one of road widening and blacktopping projects approved by the provincial government under its tourism promotion initiatives in Ghanool valley of the district.

Civil judge Qazi Adnan also issued a status quo order on widening and blacktopping of a 14km Ghanool road – from Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road up to Shinkiari-Hut - till further orders. The judge ordered the respondents to appear before him on Monday to clearly their position.

According Raza Mohammad Khan and other petitioners, the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had approved widening and blacktopping of 16km Manoor valley road, 10km Shogran road and 14km Ghanool-Shinkiari Hut road in Balakot tehsil with an estimated cost of Rs1.259 billion but the C&W Department changed PC-1 underhand to appease the chief minister’s special advisor on population Ahmad Hussain Shah.

The petitioners further said that as landowners were having no objection to the already acquired land under PC-1 of 14km MNJ road up to Shinkiari Hut, the C&W Department and Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa changed it on the order of CM’s advisor.