CHITRAL, Dec 27: District coordination officer Rahmatullah Wazir said on Tuesday that the local administration had launched an operation in Ayun village to establish the government’s writ and open the road leading to the Kalash valleys of Bumburate and Rumbur.

Briefing media person about the incident, he said that the residents of Ayun village had earlier resisted implementation of the Supreme Court verdict concerning the ownership of the local forest and then attacked the forest checkpost to demolish it.

The DCO said that during the recent operation the police tried to keep hooligans away from the government buildings and installations and arrest them. He said that the residents of the village had also established an arbitrary checkpost on the road leading to Kalash valley and they were extorting money from people carrying firewood and timber. He said that during the operation the post was also abolished.

Mr Wazir said that the residents of Ayun backed out of their agreement with the local administration about the establishment of forest checkpost.

“The abolition or shifting of the forest checkpost will open the way for smuggling of timber into the village and such bizarre demand will never be accepted,” he said.