NOWSHERA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has placed heavy shipment containers along the road at New Attock Bridge as preparations for stopping the participants of Azadi March from going to Islamabad.

Heavy containers were placed on both sides of the bridge connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab province. However, the government blocked the Old Attock Bridge from both sides and stopped pedestrians from crossing it.

Sources said that heavy contingents of police were also sent the area. They said that police would stay at Government Higher Secondary School Khairabad. The school would be closed to accommodate the policemen, they added.

Sources said that 1,000 policemen would be deployed to stop the participants of Azadi March from going to Islamabad. Nowshera DPO Mansoor Aman visited to the school and inspected preparations there.

Abdul Wahab, a resident of Khairabad village, said that people of Khwara comprising 16 villages and four union councils faced a lot of hardships due to blockage of roads both by the government and local leaders. He said that movement of people, who were depended on main cities including Jehangira, Akkora Khattak and Nowshera for their fulfilling their needs, was restricted.

INJURED: Former assistant commissioner of Jehangira and settlement officer Mohammad Iqabl received bullets injuries when unidentified motorcyclists opened firing on him on Monday.

Police sources said that Mohammad Iqbal received bullets injuries when he was going to office from home in official vehicle.

He was rushed to Qazi Medical Complex where his condition was stated to be critical. The attackers managed to escape.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2019