07 March 2005	Monday	25 Muharram 1426

MANSEHRA, March 6: Divisional President of the Pakistan People's Party (Parliamentarians) Shamaroze Khan Jadoon has said the PPP is the only popular party of the country having roots among the masses in all the four provinces.

He was addressing on Sunday a workers' gathering at the residence of Banaras Khan in Batgram where the latter announced joining the PPP along with dozens of his companions.

He was accompanied by the party's senior vice president of Abbottabad district, Sardar Ibrar Ahmad, and senior vice president of Mansehra district, Mohammad Aslam Khan Tanoli.

Mr Jadoon felicitated Banaras Khan on joining the PPP and hoped that he would work hard for organizing and strengthening the party in a remote area like Batgram. He said the PPP is the legacy of Z.A. Bhutto who rendered invaluable sacrifices for the cause of democracy.

He said the PPP leadership, while following in the footsteps of Z.A. Bhutto, is still struggling for the supremacy of the constitution and the rights of the people.

KAGHAN VALLEY ROAD: The Kaghan Valley Road, which had been blocked due to an avalanche, has been cleared for traffic right up to the Kaghan village, said the general manager of the National Highway Authority (NHA), Ilyas Afzal.

He said this while speaking to newsmen in the office of the Nazim, Mansehra district, here on Saturday. District Nazim Syed Ahmad Hussain Shah and the director, NHA, Abdullah Jan, were also present on the occasion.

He said that the NHA had set a target for clearing the road by the 26th of February but could not do so due to bad weather and continuous landslides. He said that the workers of the NHA had worked hard in below zero temperatures on a road which is still vulnerable to avalanches and landslides.

He said that the NHA had stationed heavy machinery at various points in the Kaghan Valley for clearing up the road. He said that efforts were being made to clear the road right up to the tourist resort of Naran within the next two weeks.