MANSEHRA: Transporters on Tuesday ended the five-day wheel-jam strike against the ‘convoy system’ after the Kohistan administration accepted their majors demands.“The convoy earlier consisted of 70 vehicles but now it will be of four vehicles. If both the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan governments agree, the current convoy system could be abolished,” Deputy Commissioner of Kohistan Syed Mohammad Shah told a jirga, where local elders and transporters from both the regions were in attendance.

He said representatives of transporters would meet Deputy Inspector General of Hazara police Akhtar Hayat Gandapur shortly to apprise him of their problems for necessary action.

Mr Shah said the government never wanted to create problems for passengers and transporters and whatever steps it had taken would ensure their security.

District Police Officer Akbar Ali, who was also in attendance, said the government and police knew by and large, people of Kohistan strictly followed the law and had never been involved in terrorist activities.

He said miscreants from Derail and Tangir areas on the border between Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were behind attacks on passenger buses and coaches.

The DPO said if the Gilgit-Baltistan government took responsibility for the passengers’ security on Karakoram Highway in areas under its jurisdiction, then the convoy system could be ended in Kohistan.

Speaking on the occasion, president of Kohistan transporters body Gul Khan said transporters were ending their wheel jam strike on the announcement made by the Kohistan deputy commissioner.

“The convoy system is not ended completely but it is an encouraging sign that now the convoy will comprise four vehicles to the relief of passengers and transporters alike,” he said.

Mr Gul said the struggle for the end of convoy system would continue though legal means.

He warned the district administration that if it didn’t fulfil its commitments, transporters would go on the wheel jam strike again.

DISCREPANCIES FOUND: The district education officer of Torghar found discrepancies in the record of eight schoolteachers during the ‘up-gradation process’ on Tuesday.

DEO Torghar Gohar Ali told reporters that up-gradation of Torghar teachers in grade 16 was in progress.

He said he had found out that there were at least eight teachers, who were present in their schools in Torghar and had secured master’s degrees as regular students from various universities at the same time.

Mr Ali said the cases of such teachers could not considered and that action would be taken against them.

AC HOUSE RECONSTRUCTED: The tehsil administration has rebuilt the assistant commissioner’s house, which was destroyed in the Oct 8, 2005 earthquake.

Deputy Commissioner of Mansehra Zulfiqar Shah inaugurated the building during a special ceremony on Tuesday.

The deputy commissioner said allotment of plots at the Rs13 billion New Balakot City Housing Project meant for the people of Balakot red zone would begin soon.

Mr Shah said the provincial government was sincerely working for the smooth execution of the project and that the minor issues of landowners and residents of Bakrial would be resolved amicably.