ABBOTTABAD: Tourists have alleged that personnel of traffic police harass them by imposing heavy fines on them for incomplete documents of vehicles without violation of any traffic rule.

They said that traffic wardens, standing in groups on Karakoram Highway and Abbottabad-Muree road, stopped each and every vehicle coming from other cities and checked documents of vehicle without noticing that no traffic rules was violated by the visitors.

“Traffic police even do not care that tourists are females, children or senior citizens but they are bent upon to fine each and every one. Tourists beg for mercy and sometimes exchange harsh words with them,” said Saleem, a visitor from Sialkot who was going to upper parts of Hazara including Naran and Shogran along with his family.

He alleged that he was harassed unnecessarily and fined heavily by traffic police. This situation is not only causing inconvenience to visitors but also adversely affecting tourism industry of Abbottabad.

SSP says no one will be spared if found guilty

Abbottabad is a scenic city and a large number of tourists visit it. The government has established special unit of police with the title of ‘tourism police’ to facilitate visitors but all such efforts to promote tourism are being ruined by traffic police.

SSP Traffic Tariq Khan, when contacted, acknowledged it and said that strict disciplinary action was already taken against such officials. He said that no one would be spared if found guilty of rude behaviour with tourists.

He said that Hazara police set unique example of professionalism and all the time gave priority to facilitate tourists as well as locals.

MEETING: A meeting regarding improvement of facilities in Shimla Hill Park and bird peasantry was held here on Monday with Deputy Commissioner Sanaullah Khan in the chair.

The meeting was meant to modernise facilities in the park, install new swings for children and improve quality of bird peasantry. The tehsil municipal officer, Shakeel Hayat, the divisional forest officer of Wildlife, assistant director of local government and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The participants of the meeting presented suggestions for development of park and stressed the need for taking practical steps in that regard, keeping in mind needs of people.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025