Protests on KKH in Abbottabad banned

ABBOTTABAD: The district administration has decided to declare strategic Karakoram Highway (KKH) limits in the city as ‘Red Zone’ for holding protests and designated a space at the Jinnah Park for all kinds of such meetings.

This was decided at a review meeting of traffic management convened in the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here on Tuesday. Abbottabad Deputy Commissioner Khalid Mehmood presided over the meeting.The deputy commissioner confirmed the decision to The News and said a notification would be issued soon. The official said the strategic highway in Hazara Division linking it with Gilgit-Baltistan is a lifeline for the upcoming China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

“We have initiated regular consultative meetings with all the stakeholders including elected representatives, line departments, lawyers, journalists, traders and general public in the last six months to overcome different problems facing the city,” he added.

He added that the traffic management plan, shifting of van and suzuki stands inside the city other issues were discussed in length and decisions taken with the consultation of all the stakeholders. He said different roads in TMA & Cantonment areas were cleared for smooth flow of traffic and parking places were identified in the city.