MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday deployed more than 200 police personnel at the Bararkot checkpost in Garhi Habibullah area here as violent protesters attempted to enter its territory from neighbouring Muzaffarabad following the deployment of Rangers in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir region.

“We cannot allow anyone to challenge the government’s authority and have deployed 200 more personnel under a senior police officer to restrict the entry of protesters on our side of the border from Muzaffarabad,” DPO Shafeeullah Khan Gandapur told reporters.

He said that violent protesters had attempted to force their way into the Hazara Division through Bararkot prompting the police to repel their move.

The DPO said Divisional Superintendent of Police Balakot Nazir Khan was leading the contingent deployed to block the movement of protesters and control the law and order situation.

Violent protesters from AJK try to enter KP

“We are on standby to deal with any unforeseen circumstances, as locals are not permitted to proceed to AJK since protests broke out in the neighboring capital of AJK earlier this month,” he said.

He said all entry and exit points to AJK were sealed off by the police.

“We have also sealed the Kashmir Road until the situation in Muzaffarabad returns to normal,” he said.

Since last week, protesters have been demonstrating in Muzaffarabad against high electricity tariffs and taxes.

ROAD REOPENED: Thousands of tourists, passengers, and motorists departed for their destinations here after the reopening of the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road on Monday evening.

The artery, which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan, was closed to all vehicular traffic early Sunday morning due to heavy landslides in the Ghanool area of Balakot tehsil here.

Former MPA Mazhar Ali Qasim complained that the National Highway Authority couldn’t remove landslides from the road for more than 42 hours leaving travellers stranded in their vehicles.

He said the NHA was unable to remove the massive rock that fell from the nearby mountains and only opened the blocked portion for one-way traffic.

“Had the Kaghan Valley been hit by a devastating earthquake like 2005’s, what would have our administration and relevant departments done to rescue the affected people,” he said.

Mr Qasim flayed failure of authorities to clear rocks to traffic for two days.

Locals and tourists left their vehicles and made their way out of the lower parts of the Kaghan Valley to Mansehra via infrequent mountainous routes.

Mohammad Mumtaz, a tourist from Lahore, said he and his family had been stranded here for the last two days.

“We came here with a recreational group but got stranded. Now, most of us are out of money forcing us to borrow to cover additional expenses for accommodations and meals,” he said.

Mehar Ali from Bhagwanpura area of Lahore said the road was in a highly dilapidated condition, so the government should ensure its blacktopping and construction of protective walls along landslide-prone areas for tourist safety.

Deputy commissioner Adnan Battani told reporters that Chinese engineers working on a local dam also assisted in clearing the road to traffic.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2024