MANSEHRA: The upgradation of a 132kV grid station was completed on Wednesday, paving the way for an uninterrupted electric supply to the residents of Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts, who had blocked the Karakoram Highway for five days early this month.

“The protesters reposed full confidence in the district administration and called off their protest on our assurance that we would complete upgradation and installation of equipment at the grid station before June 12, and we fulfilled that commitment,” Lower Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Zuhaib Hayat told the inaugural ceremony of the grid station in Pattan, the district headquarters of Lower Kohistan.

District police officer Zafar Ahmad Khan also attended the ceremony.

The deputy commissioner said that the foundation stone of the 132kV grid station was laid in 2015, but the project could not be completed for different reasons.

“We took notice of the prolonged delay in its completion, which had caused difficulties for people due to an unreliable electricity supply. Now, the project has finally been completed,” Mr Hayat said.

“All the relevant departments, the district administration and police dealt with the issue responsibly. We first persuaded the protesters to end the blockade of the KKH to facilitate smooth travel, and now the root cause of the dispute has been resolved,” said DPO Zafar Ahmad Khan.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2026