KOHAT: The local people have demanded repair and maintenance of the crumbling British-era hilly road, also called the old Indus Highway, between Kohat and Darra Adamkhel tribal subdivision.

The road is in use of heavy traffic after the construction of the Kohat tunnel, where the heavy vehicles are not allowed to pass through.

The 11-kilometre road snaking through a mountain was constructed in 1927, but the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority has totally neglected its repair and maintenance.

Rasheed Paracha, a prominent businessman, said the road was fast crumbling due to plying of the heavy traffic, but the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority had ignored its upkeep.

Mr Paracha demanded that the hilly road should be widened to help stop occurrence of fatal accidents.

Masood Khalil Advocate, an office-bearer of Awami National Party, said the government could rid people of the hazardous journey on the hilly road by constructing a shortest road by removing a small mountain in the Bosti Khel area of Darra to link it to the Hangu highway and the Kohat district.

He said the road could further be linked to the Peshawar and Bannu bypass roads.

GOOD POLICING STRESSED: DIG Kohat division Tayyab Hafeez Cheema has stressed that if the aspiration for rule of law, justice, merit, and public safety is a priority before the police officials then the standard of good policing can be achieved easily and effectively.

He stated this while speaking at a meet-the-press and award-giving ceremony at the Kohat Police Club on Tuesday. He praised the role of media in curbing crimes.

Mr Cheema said the investigation branch was the backbone of the police department, which had solved serious cases and got severe punishments from courts for criminals.

He distributed cheques of Rs600,000 among various officers of the investigative branch.

The cheques were given to those officers who worked zealously in implementing the National Action Plan.

Mr Cheema said the policy of reward and punishment existed in the department to discourage corruption.

UNDERPASS SOUGHT: Residents of several villages have threatened to block work on the Peshawar-DI Khan Expressway if an underpass is not constructed at Khamato Square.

The warning was made by former nazim Ishtiaq Mahmood and other elders while speaking at a meeting.

They said due to absence of an underpass at the busy place, frequent accidents occurred. They said construction of an underpass had been their longstanding demand.

The villagers from Dhodha, Shadi Khel, Kamal Khel, Marchungi, Bhora Garhi and Dhok Jaat attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2020