MINGORA: The residents of Banjot and its adjoining areas here on Monday demanded of the chief minister to fulfil his promise of constructing a road in the region.

They told local journalists that they would block the main GT Road and stage sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s House if construction work on the road was not started till 31 January.

They said that the only link road to their area, which connected 18 villages comprising 30,000 people, was in bad shape for the last 30 years due to which they faced multiple problems.

The residents said that their children reached late to the schools and colleges and face punishment owing to bad condition of the only link road. “Our children get up early in the morning and rush to their schools but despite their hurry and early waking they reach schools and colleges late for which they are punished,” said Asghar Ali, a resident of the area.

They said that hospital was located at a distance of about 10 kilometres from the area and their patients often got critical before reaching there.

PROTEST: Hundreds of workers and owners of stone crushing plants from Dir and Swat staged a demonstration here on Monday against the provincial government for imposing tax on them and closing their units.

Carrying black flags, the protesters blocked Mingora-Saidu Sharif Road and then gathered at Nishat Chowk where they chanted slogans against the government. They said that thousands of people were connected with the crushing plants business and their closure left them jobless.

Malakand Division Crushing Plants Owners Association chairman Rahmat Ali Khan, senior vice president and other office-bearers including Fayaz Khan, Wakeel Ahmad, Haji Parwanat Khan, Ayanullah, Fazl Rehman, Hazrat Ali, Fayaz Khan, Azizur Rehman and Haji Fatahullah addressed the protesters.

“Imposing tax and closing crushing plants mean financial assassination of thousands of poor people. Due to closure of the plants, thousands of people are starving as they don’t have money to buy food,” said Rahmat Ali Khan.

“The government should not only allow us to open our crushing plants but also compensate us for our losses,” said Mr Khan.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2018