MANSEHRA: The residents of Judbah and adjoining villages have warned that they will block the main Judbah-Thakot Road to traffic for an indefinite period if the administration doesn’t repair the Judbah-Kubalgrom suspension bridge within a week.

A windstorm had damaged the bridge and removed its steel planks and strings last month.

“We met local lawmakers and district administration many times seeking the immediate repair of the suspension bridge that links Torghar with Malakand and other parts of Hazara regions, but to no avail,” resident Zahid Khan told reporters on Tuesday.

Complain about delay in repair of suspension bridge

He said the locals settled in other parts of country for employment struggled to reach home to celebrate Eid as vehicles couldn’t use the unsafe bridge.

Another resident, Rabnawaz Khan, criticised the district administration for disregarding the people’s misery by delaying repair of the suspension bridge.

“We want the bridge to be repaired immediately to the comfort of those moving to and from the area. A concrete bridge will be a permanent solution to the issue,” he said.

The resident warned that if the administration didn’t repair the bridge within a week, then the people of Judbah and adjoining villages would block the main artery, Judbah-Thakot Road, to all sorts of traffic for an indefinite period.

RESHUFFLE: District police officer Zaibullah Khan on Tuesday ordered the transfer and posting of station house officers across Mansehra district.

“This major reshuffle is meant to provide the people with better security and the competent inspectors and sub-inspectors with an opportunity to play due role in eliminating crimes,” the DPO told reporters.

SHO of Shinkiari police station Shahjehan Khan was told to report to the police lines, while inspector Mohammad Aziz was posted his successor. Inspector Arshad Khan was made SHO of Garhi Habibullah police station, while Garhi Habibullah SHO Yasir Khan was posted the head of the complaint cell to the District Police Officer Secretariat

SI Wajid Ali Shah was made SHO of Kaghan police station and SI Qazi Majid Naseem the SHO of Battle police station, while SHO of Battle police station Malik Asif Hussain was asked to report to the police lines.

SI Bashir Tanoli was posted the SHO of Khaki police station, while his predecessor Tahir Iqbal was told to report to the police lines.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2019