MANSEHRA: The residents blocked the Karakoram Highway here on Saturday complaining about the rising prices of essential commodities and closure of CNG stations.
They marched on the KKH before blocking it for more than an hour by setting fire to old tyres.
Shouting slogans against both federal and provincial governments and blaming them for the country’s economic mess, they demanded immediate steps to control inflation besides the reopening of CNG stations.
The protesters said the prices of wheat flour had hit an all-time high due to bad governance.
They later tried in vain to storm a CNG station on the KKH.
Demand price control, opening of CNG stations
RIGHT TO SERVICE ACT: Deputy commissioner Bilal Shahid Rao has urged the people to use the Right to Service Act to avail themselves of better services of government departments.
“Government officials are bound by the law to provide people with the sought-after services and the service denial can be challenged with the right to the public services commission for punitive action against him or her,” Mr Rao told a virtual session with the people here on Saturday.
The participants highlighted the issues related to government departments and sought immediate corrective measures.
Mr Rao, who recently assumed the office, said complaints were coming in from across the district about quality and distribution of subsidised wheat flour.
He said 135 points were established across the district for the sale of subsidised flour and if the residents could lodge complaints about them with the district food controller.
The DC said currently, 17 millers received subsidised wheat from the government and gave away 55 bags of 20kg each to sale points daily.
He said though assistant commissioners regularly paid surprise visits to filling stations on their own, people could lodge complaints against them with the assistant Commissioners for punitive action against that specific.
Meanwhile, parliamentary leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Sardar Mohammad Yusuf on Saturday said the federal government was committed to the cause of Hazara province.
“The day is far when Hazara will become a separate province,” Mr Yusuf told reporters here.
The PML-N leader said the federal government led by his party would ensure the successful execution of development projects announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Hazara division, including Mansehra district.
He also said the prime minister had approved and earmarked funds for the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad Motorway, which would improve economic conditions of the people of KP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Published in Dawn, january 8th, 2023