CHITRAL: Protesters from Torkhow and Terich valley on Friday blocked the Shandur Road in Booni town for an indefinite period, declaring they’ll stay put until the heavy machinery is mobilised to their area to ensure the start of work on the Buzund Road.

The call for the strike was given by the Torkhow and Terich Road Forum (TTRF) in which thousands of people participated.

Passengers on both sides of the blockade suffered heavily.

The TTRF leaders alleged that the communication and works department paid Rs120 million to the contractor in advance six months ago but there was no work on the ground.

They said that the people had started a protest as a last resort after being disappointed with the indifference of the local MPA and district administration.

The TTRF leader alleged that the local MPA had got a junior officer posted as the executive engineer of the communication and works department who made advance payment to the project’s contractor.

The talks with MNA Abdul Latif and the Upper Chitral DC failed as the TTRF leaders firmly insisted that heavy machinery should be mobilised as the first step.

TTRF chairman Waqas Ahmad told Dawn that the protesters demanded mobilisation of machinery to the area and a judicial inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of the project funds.

The Upper Chitral DC didn’t respond to the repeated phone calls.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2025