3 men drown in Kunhar while taking selfie

Official says tourists, locals continue to take pictures on riverside despite ban

BALAKOT:

Despite the ban on bathing and taking selfies while standing in the Kunhar River, tourists and local youths eager to take a bath and take selfies, are losing their lives by drowning in the river.

Over the past week, three local youths have drowned in the river from Balakot, while in other places in the River Kunhar, several tourists and local youths have drowned in the river in a few days whose families are in great distress.

Talking to The Express Tribune, DSP Circle Balakot Siraj Khan said that Section 144 is imposed on entering the water of Kunhar River. The Kaghan Development Authority has banned people from taking selfies along the Kunhar River and asked the Community River Rangers with enforcing the ban.

"In the future, if any person is caught bathing in the river, action will be taken against them. This decision has been taken to protect the lives and property of the people," said Khan and urged the parents to fulfill their responsibility to keep an eye on their children to avoid accidents.

The river Kunhar flows from Balakot to Babusar Top along the Kagan Highway which enhances the natural beauty of the valley. But on the other hand, every year the negligence of tourists and local youth causes fatal accidents.

A large number of tourists visit Kaghan Valley every year but most of them don’t know how dangerous the Kunhar River is, said Khan, adding that they take selfies on the riverside and some of them even die. Dozens of people drown every year in the merciless waves of the Kunhar River. Many of them have not even been found dead.

It is imperative for the administration to strictly enforce the ban on entering the river to protect tourists and local youth from sudden accidents so as to prevent accidents on a daily basis.

Man shot dead

Meanwhile, a young man Shabbir, alias Sani, was allegedly killed by suspects Bilal and Babar on Pakhwal Road in Mansehra within the jurisdiction of City police station.

Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Bilal and Babar and two other unknown persons and started a search to arrest the accused. The widowed mother of slain Shabbir while lodging a report against the killers said that last night, her daughter, daughter-in-law and son were present at home around 1am when the doorbell rang and Shabir went out. She further said that they saw Bilal, Babar and two other unknown people standing outside the door.

"They dragged my son to an empty plot alongside our house, where Bilal asked Shabbir why he was pursuing the case of his father's killer in the court," she said.

"Both exchanged harsh words and suddenly Bilal opened gunfire on Shabbir and killed him on the spot." After the incident, the suspects managed to escape from the crime scene.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2022.