BAJAUR: Residents of various hilly areas of Salarzai tehsil here on Tuesday complained about the use of substandard material in the construction of a road.

Speaking to mediapersons, they alleged that a lack of proper supervision by the roads and highways department was the major reason for substandard construction of the Batwar-Chachagi Road.

They said that no official of the department visited the site since the project was inaugurated about three months ago.

“The pace of work on the project is also very slow, which is a matter of serious concern for us as the road is meant to connect dozens of hilly areas of the region and with the rest of the district,” said Hazara Khan, a resident of the Batwar area.

The residents said that they had raised the issue with PTI MPA Anwar Zeb Khan, but the lawmaker and his representatives had yet to take any action.

They urged senior officials of the roads and highways department and the district administration to ensure quality construction.

Meanwhile, Sikandar Zeb Khan, the son of MPA Anwar Zeb Khan and focal person for his development projects, said in a social media post that he had taken a team of officials from the local roads and highways department to the site after residents complained about the poor quality of work and slow progress.

He said the team visited the site and directed the contractor to maintain quality work on the road project.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2026