Child's death triggers highway protest

A speeding vehicle ran over and killed a young child at the Maira Khankhel area along the Hazara Expressway (CPEC) on Sunday, witnesses and rescuers said. In protest, relatives placed the body on the highway and blocked it to traffic.

Protesters maintained that essential safety measures along the high-speed corridor have yet to be implemented, while pedestrian crossing bridges remain unconstructed.

They described this as criminal negligence on the part of the highway authorities, alleging that dozens of precious lives have already been lost as a result.

Five-year-old Abdullah, son of Abdul Wahab, had left his home near Koza Banda and, while playing, reached the expressway at Maira. During this time, a speeding car struck him, resulting in his death at the scene.

Following the incident, local residents staged a sit-in, placing the child's body on the road and chanting slogans against the highway administration.

Protesters asserted that the Hazara Expressway had been opened to traffic in haste, without completing vital infrastructure.

They pointed out that between Mansehra and Batagram, dozens of overhead bridges, underpasses and pedestrian crossings have yet to be constructed. In several locations, even basic protective barriers have not been installed.