ABBOTTABAD: The PPP-Shaheed Bhutto activists on Thursday blocked the Karakorum Highway for five hours at Fawara Chowk here to protest the local administration’s decision to relocate the wagon stand.

Abbottabad city, Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan, Torghar and Gilgit, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir remained cut off from other parts of the country due to the protest.

Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road to the misery of passengers, including women and children.

Local assistant commissioner Mir Raza Ozgen tried to pacify protesters, but to no avail.

Deputy commissioner Khalid Mehmood told reporters that the decision to relocate the wagon stand was made in consultation with all stakeholders to ensure smooth traffic on the local roads and make the city clean.

Meanwhile, Abbottabad District Bar Association president Asad Tanveer demanded strict action against the ‘transporter mafia’ for blocking the Karakoram Highway and thus, troubling people.

He also said the administration should take action under 3 MPO and 16 MPO to maintain the law and order in the city.

DRUG STORES SEALED: Assistant commissioner Mir Raza Ozgen on Thursday sealed drug stores for being run by unqualified people and having expired medicines.

He warned those illegally running drug stores would be fined and sent to jail.

WASTE TREATMENT PLANT: The solid waste treatment plant will be functional in the next two months.

This was stated by the plant director during a meeting chaired by tehsil nazim Mohammad Ishaque here on Thursday.

The solid waste treatment plant was built four years ago but didn’t become functional for several reasons.

During the ‘plant management meeting’ attended by the tehsil municipal administration officials, the tehsil nazim said the plant would be made functional within the next two months.

He said six TMA officials concerned would go to Lahore on Feb 6 to undergo a training on the functioning of the waste treatment plant.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2016