MANSEHRA: The Wapda chairman has filed damages suits against 23 protesters for allegedly diverting a watercourse and suspending electricity production at the Dubair Khawar hydropower station in Lower Kohistan earlier this year.

“We have received court notices in which Wapda has sought damages of over Rs360 million, alleging that the unit’s power generation remained suspended due to our protest,” Juma Shah Jallali, chairman of Dubair Bala village council, said on Sunday.

The summons/notices, one of which was seen by Dawn, stated that the 23 accused persons, whose names have been mentioned, led a group of residents who allegedly closed the bottom outer gate and diverted the watercourse from a local stream.

The notices, issued through the district and sessions judge, claimed that Wapda suffered financial losses exceeding Rs360 million due to the suspension of power generation.

Claims it suffered Rs360m losses after water channel diverted

“Wapda has also approached the police for the registration of cases against those who created hurdles in electricity production,” the notices stated.

Police have also booked around 60 protesters, including those served with notices by Wapda, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, though none of them has been arrested so far.

The protesters had staged a sit-in for nearly two months, calling for the reconstruction of the 26-kilometre Dubair-Ranowalia Road, which had been washed away in the 2023 flash floods.

Mr Jallali said all those served with notices would jointly contest the cases.

MAN ARRESTED: The police on Sunday arrested a man who allegedly held his wife and children hostage at gunpoint on a busy road and opened fire on cops when they attempted to rescue them.

“We are investigating the motive behind the incident after arresting the accused, who fired at a police party to keep them away from him and his family during the rescue operation,” SHO Lari Adda police station Gulnawaz Khan told reporters.

The accused, identified as Mian Khan, a resident of the Shimlai area of Battagram, had held his wife and children at Pano Interchange here for over an hour, disrupting traffic.

Quick Response Unit personnel rushed to the scene in plain clothes to rescue the woman and her children, initially trying to calm the suspect, but he opened fire at them.

According to the FIR, personnel escaped unhurt and managed to overpower the accused, snatching his weapon and a baton.

Police registered a case against the suspect under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, along with various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Hazara DIG Nasir Mehmood Satti has urged traffic wardens to warmly welcome the visitors travelling to the scenic destinations in the division.

“In pursuance of the vision of the provincial police chief, we have established facilitation centres and equipped traffic police with modern gadgets, as well as trained them in proper conduct, as they are the face of the department,” he said while speaking at a ceremony also attended by superintendents of traffic police from across the Hazara division the other day.

DIG Satti said police had already been directed to be courteous and welcoming towards citizens at police stations, facilitation centres, and on roads.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2026