October 24, 2008	Friday	Shawwal 24, 1429

ALPURI, Oct 23: With power supply suspended to the entire Shangla for the 73rd day, the district nazim and other notables have warned to block the Karakoram Highway for an indefinite period if the electricity was not restored in two days.

District Nazim Dr Ibadullah Khan said that they had mobilised the people and around 15,000 residents of the district would block the highway, connecting Pakistan to China, at five or six points.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said they had been waiting for the restoration of the electricity supply with patience but now their patience had run out as the government turned a blind eye to the problem.

Flanked by nazims of several tehsils and union councils and other notables, Dr Khan said that in the neighbouring Swat district a grid station had been repaired within 18 days, but the damaged pylon feeding Shangla could not be repaired even after the passage of 73 days.

The pylon was blown up by militants near Khwazakhela in Swat district in August.

“If any untoward incident occurred during our blockade of the highway the Pesco chief executive will be responsible for that,” said Dr Ibadullah Khan, who is brother of former federal minister and provincial president of PNL-Q Amir Muqam Khan.