Protest sit-in restarts to press govt for construction of roads

MASTUJ: People of Mastuj, Laspur and Yarkhun on Sunday again gathered at Mastuj bridge to stage a sit-in demanding construction of the roads to their areas.

The people of these three union councils held a protest on June 24 and 25. However, on the request of the additional deputy commissioner of Upper Chitral, the protesters had suspended the sit-in.

The ADC had promised that by June 30 local lawmakers or the top officials of the National Highway Authority (NHA) would be requested to announce a schedule for the construction of the roads.

However, as no one approached the representatives of the people of these areas to assure them that the roads would be constructed, the sit-in was restarted on Sunday.

Ehtesham Uddin, a representative of the protesters, announced that the sit-in would continue till a responsible authority gives to the people in writing about the start of work on the construction of the roads.

Meanwhile, the road was open for traffic as the sit-in continued at the main bridge. But the protesters have announced that if the government remained non-committal to the issue, they would block the road to Shandur before the annual festival there from July 7.

Meanwhile, Tehreek Huqooq-e-Awam Upper Chitral hs announced to block the Shandur road from Green Lasht to Sor Laspur on July 1 if the demand of the people was not met.

 

Reporting: Karim Ullah