SHANGLA: Local residents blocked the Swat-Bisham road for three hours at Alpuri Chowk on Wednesday to demand immediate completion of work on Lelonai-Belkanai road.

The protesters chanted slogans against the contractors and district government for not paying attention to speedy completion of the road.

The protest was led by PPP Malakand division coordinator Dr Afsarul Mulk, local councillors Abdul Saboor, Abdul Ghaffar, Mohammad Ameen and Zahoor Elahi.

While speaking to protesters, they alleged the contractor had received half of the payment from the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), but work on the road was going nowhere.

They said they had also taken up the matter with the district nazim and deputy commissioner, but they failed to make the contractor to speed up the work.

“We have to take patients on shoulders to hospitals due to lack of road facility in our village. Despite passage of eight years the road is yet to be complete,” Abdul Saboor lamented.

Meanwhile, opposition leader in Shangla district council also joined the protest and warned that if the district administration failed to get the road work completed as soon as possible they would come onto the streets.

BAN ON SUBSTANDARD FOODS: Assistant Commissioner, Puran tehsil, Jehangir Khan Wazir has imposed ban on sale of substandard foods and petroleum products.

While talking to reporters here on Wednesday, he claimed that he had fined and got arrested the drivers of the vehicles who were bringing the substandard foods and snacks to the district.

He said people involved in such an illegal business would be punished.

He said substandard ice cream and snacks were causing diseases among children.

Mr Wazir said he had directed the police to inform the police posts across the Puran tehsil to crackdown on vehicles carrying substandard foods to Shangla.

Published in Dawn September 22nd, 2016