SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf marchers on Wednesday damaged the green belt and trees on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and it would need a lot of work by the concerned staff to restore the motorway’s greenery in this summer season, said officials of the motorway and Chota Lahor tehsil administration on Thursday.

The march was started from the Wali Interchange, Swabi, and PTI chairman Imran Khan addressed the participants at motorway’s rest area about four miles from the Attock Bridge, which marks the start of Punjab province.

A number of PTI marchers walked on foot about four kilometres from the bridge on Swabi-Jehangira road to the venue, badly damaging the green belt.

There was no check on the people to march on the motorway and even motorcycles were free to move as they wished. It was witnessed on Wednesday that some of the PTI workers were cutting tree branches on the motorway for using them in the party flag.

The officials told this correspondent on condition of anonymity that the restoration of greenery would take about three months.

MAN COMMITS SUICIDE: One Laiq Khan, 40, of Dagai village in Razaar tehsil allegedly committed suicide after his family did not allow him for second marriage.

The man had made various efforts to convince his family, but he could not get the permission. Police said that Laiq had consumed poisonous pills. He was taken to Bacha Khan Hospital Complex, Shahmansoor, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Meanwhile, 12 women and a minor girl were injured when a pickup van fell into a ravine in Gadoon Amazai area here on Thursday.

The van was on its way to Topi tehsil headquarters and speeding was stated to be the cause of mishap. The injured were taken to Bacha Khan Hospital Complex and district headquarters hospital.

All the injured women belonged to different localities of Gadoon Amazai belt.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2022