Protesters want Palas de-notified as district headquarters

MANSEHRA: The residents of Kolai, Batara and Dara Madakhel on Friday blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) to traffic for about two hours in Glozeband area of Lower Kohistan to demand status of district headquarters for Batara.“Two days are left before our deadline of blocking Karakoram highway to all sort of traffic for an indefinite period and government should realise the sensitivity of the situation and de-notify Palas as district headquarters of Kolai-Palas district,” Maulana Naseerullah, told the protesters who also raised slogans in favour of their demand.The protesters had reached the KKH for the protest after travelling about 7km distance from various parts in Kolai-Palas district.Maulana Naseerullah said because of the political interference by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government reversed its earlier decision and declared Palas as district headquarters, which was unacceptable to them at any cost.Because of the blockade of the KKH, the passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan remained stranded for hours.The protesters also adopted a resolution seeking Prime Minister Imran Khan’s intervention to settle district headquarters issue in accordance with their demands.

from The News International - Peshawar https://ift.tt/2u8TZGL