MANSEHRA: The nazims of 11 village and neighbourhood councils of Shinkiari have announced to move court against the newly-notified Baffa-Pakhal tehsil of Mansehra district.

“We want government to give Shinkiari the status of a tehsil, or if it cannot do so, then it should not at least change the status of the union councils which were earlier part of Mansehra tehsil,” Adnan Tariq, a district councillor, told a meeting attended by nazims of various union councils in Dodial area here on Saturday.

Mr Tariq said they would submit a writ petition in court, challenging the newly-notified Baffa-Pakhal tehsil on Monday.

Raja Luqman, the nazim of Gariwall village council, told the gathering that people of Shinkiari had demanded of the government to declare Shinkiari as the headquarters of Baffa-Pakhal tehsil instead of Baffa, but it ignored their demand. “Our doors are open for talks if Shinkiari is given the status of tehsil,” he said.

Siraj Ahmad, the neighbourhood councillor, said the government had ignored the demand of a majority of the people of Shinkiari and that they would not accept such a decision.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2017