MANSEHRA: The residents of Dodial, Shatah and adjoining areas on Saturday hampered the construction of the Hazara Motorway over the resumption of work on a disputed land near Shinkiari by the National Highway Authority.

The protesters led by Jamaat-i-Islami Youth Wing president Asim Shahzad torched used tyres and blocked the movement of machinery to the construction site.

Shouting slogans against the NHA, they insisted that the authority had promised to construct an underpass under the motorway last week but resumed work on the motorway without fulfilling its promise.

Ask NHA to keep promise of building underpass

“The NHA had committed to suspending the construction of motorway until an underpass was in place to link Dodial and Shatah with other towns and cities. However, it breached its written agreement and resumed work on the motorway without building the underpass, which is unacceptable to us,” said Mr Shahzad.

He said the protesters wouldn’t allow NHA or the relevant Chinese company to work on the disputed section of Hazara Motorway until the underpass was built.

FUNDS DIVERTED: Former PML-N MNA and deposed premier Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar on Saturday alleged that federal minister for energy Omar Ayub Khan had transferred Rs110 million development funds of Mansehra’s Tanawal area to his constituency in Haripur district.

“I will move the court of the law against such an injustice meted out by the PTI government to the people of my constituency (NA-14),” the former lawmaker told reporters in Oghi area here.

Mr Safdar had visited Tanwal and Agror areas for the first time since the court suspended his prison sentence in the Avenfield corruption reference.

He met the residents and offered Fateha for the PML-N activists, who had died during his detention.

The former MNA said he would soon call a jirga of Tanawal residents on the shifting of Rs110 million annual development funds allocated for the region by the last PML-N government to Haripur by the current government.

ABSENTEES WARNED: Assistant commissioner Ali Sher Khan on Saturday warned that the staff members of health facilities would be dealt with strictly over absenteeism.

He issued the warning during surprise visits to the Tarangri Sabir Shah rural health centre, medical centre and other health facilities.

Accompanied by officials of the health department, the AC found the woman doctor and other staff members to be absence from duty during the Tarangri Sabir Shah RHC.

Mr Ali Sher expressed annoyance at the lack of cleanliness at the medical centre and health facilities and asked the officials concerned to take corrective measures without delay.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2019