MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released Rs220 million for the blacktopping of Nakot-Sabir Shah Road, with the project’s execution set to begin soon.
“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has approved mega development projects and this important road is part of the initiative,” Zahid Chanzeb, special adviser to the chief minister on tourism and culture, told reporters here on Sunday.
He said that people had been facing significant travel difficulties due to the dilapidated condition of the vital road, which connects over 100 destinations with the Karakoram Highway and Hazara Motorway. “The chief minister has also approved several tourism exploration projects in the Hazara division and other parts of the province. The government aims to attract visitors from across the country and abroad to these picturesque valleys and lakes,” Mr Chanzeb said.
He added that tourism activities and travel between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan had been halted after Kaghan Valley received its first snowfall of the ongoing winter season in November last year.
Chanzeb says CM also approved several tourism projects in Hazara
“We expect tourism activities and travel between the two regions through the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road to resume as the weather improves and the massive glaciers between Kaghan and Babusar Top are cleared for traffic,” Mr Chanzeb said.
The CM’s aide emphasised that the government was launching programmes aimed at boosting tourism and creating employment opportunities for locals.
“We are also addressing the shortage of teachers in government primary, middle, and high schools in the PK-38 constituency to ensure quality education for students,” Mr Chanzeb said.
He further stated that road projects initiated by the previous government under the tourism exploration project would also be completed in Siran and Konsh valleys of the district.
FIR DEMANDED: The residents of Gari Habibullah on Sunday moved an application with the city police station, seeking an FIR against a handful of protesters, who allegedly instigated a woman passenger to ‘attack’ a traffic warden after he intercepted her car in Bararkot area here the other day.
The incident, according to the application, happened on the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad Road in Bararkot, the boundary between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and AJK.
Traffic wardens of KP highway police intercepted a car and asked the driver to produce documents of vehicle and his driving licence. However, he started pleading them to allow him to go as a woman was sitting with him.
The traffic wardens insisted on seeking relevant documents. Afterwards, the woman started shouting at the wardens, and also allegedly hurled derogatory words against them.
“Some motorists also blocked the artery, and the woman allegedly slapped a traffic warden,” the application claimed.
It further said a video clip of the incident was uploaded on social media, disgracing and causing bad name to the KP police.
The application demanded arrest of the ‘perpetrators’ within next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the car driver claimed that one of the wardens slapped his sister after he requested him not to fine him for not having driving licence.
Meanwhile, DIG Hazra Nasir Mehmood Satti has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2025
