CHITRAL, Oct 30: The residents of Ayun continued to block the road leading to Kalash valleys on the second day on Sunday against cutting of forest adjacent to Rumbur valley by the forest development corporation.

An official of Ayun police station told Dawn that cutting of the forest near Rumbur valley was started after a court of law decided a case about its ownership in favour of the residents of the area.

He said that the residents of Thoriandeh and Muldeh villages of Ayun, consisting of about 300 households, blocked the road to stop cutting of the forest.

The protesters also held four residents of Rumbur valley hostages but released them later. The local elders failed to broker a deal between the residents of Kalash valley and Ayun as the protesters were demanding stoppage of the commercial harvesting of the forest.

“The protesters are determined to continue the blockade of road till withdrawal of the woodcutters of FDC contractor from the forest,” sources said.

DCO Rahmatullah Wazir, when contacted to know his views about the road blockade, said that no one was above the law and nobody would be allowed to challenge the writ of the government.

“The decision of the court regarding the ownership of the forest will be implemented in any case and the defiant elements will be dealt with an iron hand,” he added.

MOOT: Speakers at a peace conference here on Sunday stressed the need for initiating dialogue instead of using force for resolution of conflicts.

The conference was arranged by National Peace and Justice Council (NPJC). NPJC chairman Mian Abdul Wahid, Kamal Abdul Jameel and representatives of civil society organisations addressed the conference.

They said that the country was affected by the menace of terrorism. They urged people to unite so that they could fight in unison against the threat.

They eulogised the role of the residents of Chitral in maintenance of peace and harmony in the district during the past four years.