CHITRAL: Like the people of Torkhow, the residents of Ayun have also formed Ayun Road Movement against delay in the construction of the Ayun-Kalash valleys road.
The Ayun residents held a protest today and issued a strong warning to the government and the National Highway Authority (NHA), demanding immediate resumption of work on the project. Work on the project, which began after compensating landowners, was suddenly halted sparking anger among locals.
At the protest gathering at Ayun Thana Chowk after Friday prayers, local leaders, including VC Chairmen Wajihuddin and Mohammad Rehman, former nazims Rahmat Naeem Shah and Mujibur Rehman denounced the delay. They accused NHA of diverting funds under false pretenses and leaving the internal road in Ayun incomplete for over two years.
Speakers said despite Ayun’s rich natural resources, poor infrastructure, especially broken roads, continued to hold the area back. They stressed that the road was not just vital for locals, but also for tourists, officials and diplomats visiting the Kalash valleys. Yet the government has failed to prioritize its construction.
The movement warned that if work does not resume immediately after Eid, they will launch a full-scale protest, holding the NHA and government responsible for any resulting unrest.