Malakand residents end protest on MPA’s assurance

Road blockade issue

PESHAWAR: The protesting residents of Khanorai area of Malakand on Saturday ended their protest camp against the administration over blockade of their village route on the persuasion of Member Provincial Assembly Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha.

The protestors had been holding demonstrations by setting up a protest camp outside the Peshawar Press Club for the last several days. They were demanding the government to reopen a route leading to their village.

The demonstrators were led by elders of Khanorai area and elected representatives of the local councils and members of civil society, including Malik Saeed and tehsil councillor Khan Bahadar, Maulana Azizur Rahman and Arbab Muhammad Faisal.

MPA Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha of Pakistan People’s Party along with party’s provincial leader and former provincial finance minister Humayun Khan held negotiations with the protesters and convinced them to end their protest. He assured them that he would hold talks with the officials concerned to solve the issue.

Talking to reporters, the dwellers of Khanorai said the local administration had blocked the main road in Khanorai area for transportation without citing any reason.

They alleged the administration had failed to solve their problems for the last 30 years.

Referring to the blocked route, they said that the inhabitants of several villages were now facing problems, including shortage of food items and other commodities, as the area remains cut off from the rest of Malakand.