MANSEHRA, Feb 24: The representatives of political and religious parties, traders and other segments of the society have demanded of the government to include Oghi in the newly-created Torghar district of Hazara division.

“We share the same culture, traditions and language and over 50 percent population of Torghar is living in Oghi, so it should be made part of the Torgar district,” said a joint declaration issued after a meeting of the stakeholders held here in Oghi on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, the representatives of political and religious parties and traders, including Niaz Hussain Shah, Munawar Khan, Qaziullah Shad, Peer Sahibullah, Mohammad Mumtaz and Mohammad Hanif, said that Oghi had remained the business centre of Torgar and the offices of the previous political administration were also situated there.

They said that lawmakers from Oghi and Torgar were silent on this important issue as they did not want delimitation of their constituencies.

“We want to join the Torgar district as our culture, traditions and language are completely different from that of other parts of Mansehra district,” said one of the participants.

The meeting also decided that a delegation of stakeholders would also meet Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti to convince him on inclusion of Oghi in the new district.FOREST PROTECTION: The forest protection committee (FPC) of Oghi has demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general of police not to wind up the post of elite force in Karori area, as it has been effectively keeping check on illegal cutting of trees.

“Outlaws and timber smugglers are using political pressure on the police department to get rid of the police post at Karori.

If the post is closed we will launch an agitation and block the Oghi-Mansehra road in protest,” said Malik Younus, the FPC president, while speaking at a meeting of the committee the other day. The forest owners also attended the meeting.

Mr Younus and other FPC members said that timber smugglers in connivance with the forest department officials were involved in illegal cutting of trees in the forests of Khen Karori and Chimyial.

They said that after establishment of the elite police post the timber smuggling and crimes had been curbed to a great extent.