GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Inspector General of Police Mohammad Saleem Bhatti said on Friday that police had information that a group of terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan was present in Diamer district, and a search operation to arrest them had been intensified.

Talking to reporters at his office here, he said that the group had kept contacts with the TTP in South and North Waziristan Agencies. He informed that two members of the group had taken shelter in North Waziristan Agency.

Mr Bhatti said that Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts, Pak Army and police were jointly conducting search operation in Diamer.

Also read: Two militants arrested in GB operation

He added that the law enforcement agencies have arrested important terrorists involved in killing of nine foreign tourists at Nanga Parbat, last year, massacre of Shia passengers at Karakoram Highway and attack on Dodishal police station.

The police chief announced that 1,500 police vacancies would be created to address shortage of policemen in the region. He said special police training schools would also be established in the region.

Related: Terrorists in army uniform storm police station in Diamer

KKH RECONSTRUCTION: Work on reconstruction of one kilometer portion of the Karakoram Highway at Hussaini near Attabad Lake couldn’t start even after passage of three months of its washing away in a glacier outburst.

Local residents and businessmen at Pak-China border expressed concern about government's non-serious attitude towards resolving the problem.

Moid Wakahni, a student, told Dawn that the glacial outburst caused flash floods in the area in April, cutting off from rest of the country 25,000 population of Gujal Valley in upper Hunza. He said that the people had to cross the flooded area boarding on bulldozers and heavy machines. He said there was shortage of food items and medicines in the region.

Mahboob Rabbani, a social worker, told Dawn that three months had passed since the incident occurred, but no government or non-government organisation had made any alternative route to facilitate the people. He said that Hussaini glacier was still melting, causing heavy floods at times.

KKH is the only source of land communication between Pakistan and China, but due to washing away of a portion of it, some traders have shut their businesses, rendering jobless thousands of labourers.

Kamaluddin, a student from Passu Gujal, said: “We are cut off from rest of country owing to blockade of KKH at Hussaini.” He said that crossing the Attabad Lake through boat was always risky as recently a boat capsized drowning two persons.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2014