MANSEHRA: Hoteliers association on Sunday demanded of the federal and provincial governments to waive all taxes on the Kaghan valley’s flood-hit hospitality industry.

“Last year’s flash floods, and now the frequent landslides and avalanches triggered by rains have delayed the reopening of our business by almost a month and a half, and in such an adverse business environment, we cannot pay various taxes collected by federal and provincial governments,” Seth Matiullah, the association’s president, told a presser in Naran.

He said the tourism industry had been suffering for the last four years as Covid-19 pandemic, flash floods and now rough weather conditions had turned the flourishing tourism industry of Kaghan valley into a complete economic mess.

On the occasion, the association’s chairman Hussain Deen said bad condition of the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road had impacted the commercial activities in the valley. He said the artery was in a dilapidated condition after flash floods damaged it from Kaghan to Battakundi.

Hoteliers demand immediate rehabilitation of MNJ Road

The body’s general secretary Naveed Khan said if the government was sincere in promoting tourism in KP it should take such measures that attracted tourists to the heavenly valley.

He demanded the government declare Kaghan valley a tax-free zone for five years.

TWO KILLED: A man killed a woman and her son over a family dispute in Kaghan valley here on Sunday, the police said.

“We have arrested the accused, Mohammad Sadaqart, who shot dead a woman and her son, namely Mohammad Shoaib, after entering their house in Kamal Ban Sari area,” SHO Kaghan police station Waheed Murad told reporters.

He said the woman and her son were rushed to Kaghan Civil Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Murad said the deceased had come from Karachi to attend the funeral of a relative. He said Shoaib had divorced the sister of the accused, enraging the latter.

The police registered an FIR of the incident.

Meanwhile, a man died and six others sustained injuries when an Oghi-bound jeep plunged into a ravine in Kania area on Sunday.

The locals rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital, Oghi, where doctors pronounced Rahim Said Jan dead. Three of the injured were referred to Ayub Medical Complex Hospital, Abbottabad.

The jeep was coming from Torghar district.

JAIL VISIT: Advisor to the caretaker chief minister for prisons, Haydaytullah Khan Afridi on Sunday visited to the district jail here and met prisoners.

“I appreciate the prison department for taking the initiative of imparting technical training to inmates, particularly women, to help them earn a decent living after serving their terms,” he said while talking to mediapersons on the occasion.

The CM’s aide said he was impressed to see women inmates getting training in embroidery, knitting, sewing and tailoring and as beauticians.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2023