MANSEHRA: Residents of Lower Kohistan on Friday took out a rally to demand reconstruction of the Dubair-Ranowalia Road, which was washed away in the 2022 flash floods.

“The protest rally was part of the sit-in, which has entered the 20th day, suspending production from the Dubair Khawar hydropower plant. However, the government has yet to meet our demand for road reconstruction,” Maulana Fazl Wahab, the Ranowalia Bankhad tehsil chairman, told the protesters gathered at the plantafter marching through the streets in Dubair.

Holding banners and placards, the protesters marched through the hydropower station’s premises, reiterating their only demand for the reconstruction of the 26km road.

They also raised slogans against the government and Wapda, arguing that they would allow water from a local stream to resume power generation only when work on the road reconstruction was ordered.

“A woman and three children died in recent months as they could not be carried to a health facility on time due to the road’s destruction, which forced us to stage the sit-in,” Salaudden, a former contestant of NA-12 seat, told the protesters.

Maulana Yusuf Yaqoob, the district emir of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, said they had cut off the water supply to the 130MW hydropower plant some 20 days ago, but neither Wapda nor the government had taken any action on their demand so far.

“We will continue our protest and keep the water supply from the stream suspended until work on this road, which connects dozens of densely-populated villages, is started,” he said.

Juma Shah Jalali, chairman of village council, said the federal ministers, Wapda chairman and the commissioner Hazara had signed agreements with the people, committing to reconstruct this road, but to no avail,” he regretted.

GUTKA SEIZED: A joint team of the district administration, police and food department seized a huge quantity of chewing tobacco (gutka) during raids at various points in the city and its suburbs.

“We have launched a crackdown on the sale of smokeless tobacco as its use is banned and causes serious ailments,” assistant commissioner Sana Fatima told reporters here on Friday.

The team also raided locations where the contraband was being prepared with unhygienic materials and booked dozens of people.

“We have registered cases against traders selling gutka and have confiscated all materials used in its preparation,” Ms Fatima said.

“This operation will continue across the board, and no one, no matter how influential, will be spared if found involved in selling gutka,” the AC said.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2025