MANSEHRA: The Mansehra district council on Saturday approved the Rs10.53 billion budget for the current financial year with a thumbing majority.

The council, which met with convener Ghulam Murtaza Tanoli in the chair, also passed a unanimous resolution demanding of the United Nations to take notice of atrocities being committed by Indian forces against Kashmiris.

“We want the UN to impose economic sanctions on India for revoking special status of held Kashmir,” Shahid Rafique, the opposition leader in the council, said before tabling the resolution.

The council also passed another resolution demanding of the federal government not to resume toll tax collection at Khatan-da-Galla on the Karakoram Highway.

“If NHA attempts to restart toll tax collection it might trigger law and order situation as tax collection was suspended following the civil society, transporters and ulema stormed the toll plaza some 11 years ago,” Malik Naveed, the mover of the resolution, said.

Speaking on the occasion, district nazim Sardar Said Ghulam thanked the councillors for unanimously passing the budget.

He said an amount of Rs200 million would go for new development schemes, besides the Rs140 million which was earmarked for payment of honorarium of councillors and utilities bills of the nazim secretariat.

The district nazim accepted a proposal to hold the council’s last session in Shogran tourist resort.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2019