BAJAUR: Work has finally resumed on a long-delayed 10 km road project in the underdeveloped Utmankhel tehsil of Bajaur district after it remained halted for several years, said a statement issued here.

“We are pleased that construction work on the 10-kilometre Kolala-Matakoo Road, which had been suspended for several years owing to lack of funds, has resumed with the efforts of local MPA Engineer Ajmal Khan and former MNA Gul Dad Khan,” the statement said.

“The completion of the Kolala-Matakoo Road, a longstanding demand of residents of dozens of villages, will not only provide better travelling facilities but also open up new avenues of development and prosperity for the people who have been deprived of road facility since their birth,” it added.

Meanwhile, residents of the said region mostly villages located in mountainous region, while speaking to Dawn on Sunday, confirmed the resumption of the road work.

They said the road, meant to connect dozens of areas with each other and the rest of the district, was inaugurated by MPA Ajmal Khan during his previous tenure in 2020, claiming that work has resumed following multiple protests held by the residents over the last couple of years.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, residents of Mula Kallay area of Loi Mamund tehsil on Sunday launched work on a long-awaited road scheme on a self-help basis after losing hope in the government and local lawmakers.

Speaking to media during the launching ceremony, elders, political and social activists and youth leaders said they started work on a self-help basis after the government and lawmakers failed to do so despite repeated promises.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026