Ayubia chairlift controversy deepens

ABBOTTABAD: The Ayubia chairlift controversy has deepened after the Dunga Gali police registered a criminal case against the chairman and members of Galiyat Tahafuz Movement (GDM) on the written complaint of Galiyat Development Authority (GDA).

On the other hand, GTM not only secured bail before arrest (BBA) for members but also chalked out a comprehensive legal strategy for challenging at all legal forums the long-term lease of 110 Kanal land to a private company.

The GTM in a meeting on Thursday developed a comprehensive strategy to cope with all illegalities and challenge them on all legal forums. Those close to the GTM said the meeting was attended by senior lawyers, elders and notables of the area who discussed all the options to counter the GDA which had allegedly leased out the forest land to any private company.

They discussed all environmental threats and challenges to Galiyat, including high-rise building structures, illicit forest cutting and the land mafia.

A team of senior lawyers was engaged to file a case in the court of law.

Earlier, Additional Sessions Judge VI of Abbottabad accepted BBA petitions by the chairman, GTM Sardar Sabir, senior journalist Sardar Iftikhar Ahmed and Muhammad Khalid, a resident of Toheedabad in the case registered against them at the police station Dungagali on the complaint of GDA over the Ayubia chairlift dispute.

Syed Mudassir Shah Tirmizi, Additional Sessions Judge VI, allowed them the pre-arrest interim bail to all three accused in FIR No. 395 dated 5.10.2021 under sections 506/147/149/427 of the Pakistan Penal Code on furnishing bail bonds of Rs 80,000 each with local sureties.

The Dunga Gali police station registered the case against the accused on the written complaint of assistant director (administration) of the GDA in which police was asked to lodge FIR against the nominated persons.

The complaint letter addressed to Abbottabad District police officer, copy available with The News, asked police to register a case against Muhammad Ayaz Khan, existing contractor Ayubia chairlift, chairman, community-based social organization, GTM, Sardar Sabir, vice-chairman and senior journalist Sardar Iftikhar and others, who according to them, entered into the premises of Ayubia chairlift premises, forcibly opened the doors, threatened the GDA technical staff and instigated the locals.

The GDA assistant director (admin) in his letter accused the social media of defaming them.

Ironically, a child, Khyam Irfan, s/o, Muhammad Irfan, was charged with uploading false and derogatory news on social media against the GDA officials, whose date of birth according to NADRA record is 2.7.2008.

Interestingly, the GDA officer in his concluding paragraph stated That “ All the accused are liable to be booked under sections 3, 5 and 16 of the MPO”.

The letter stated that in a feasibility study report by an Austrian expert and recent reports of our technical section, the chairlift had safety deficiencies with high-risk to passengers health and safety.

It said the contractor of the chairlift was repeatedly asked to provide a safety measure certificate but he failed to do so.

He clearly mentioned that competent authority had directed to close the operation of the chairlift with effect from the first of October.