Day two: KKH remains blocked due to protest
Demonstrators demand release of political parties’ workers.
KOHISTAN:
The Karakoram Highway (KKH) remained blocked on Sunday, the second day in a row, as villagers and members of different political parties protested against the arrest of nine persons.
The protesters blocked the road at China Bridge in Dasu, the district headquarters of Upper Kohistan, suspending the flow of traffic on the only route between China and the rest of the country. They demanded the early release of nine persons who were arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order and sent to Central Prison Haripur on Saturday, for protesting against the death of a minor girl due to the negligence of doctors at a government hospital.
Dasu DSP called a meeting at Komila police station on Saturday where activists of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Qaumi Watan Party, other political parties and social workers were invited for dialogues on local issues. However, when they reached, the police arrested them and shifted them to Haripur prison. The police said the arrested people were accused of blocking the highway on November 3 while protesting the death of a minor girl who allegedly died due to the negligence of doctors at a government hospital.
The protest against the arrests started on Saturday. The parties’ workers and villagers remained adamant to keep KKH blocked until the accused are released. The district administration and police tried to convince the protesters to clear the road but efforts by the police did not end in results.
The protest left long queues of buses and vans stranded on the road for hours.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2014.
The Karakoram Highway (KKH) remained blocked on Sunday, the second day in a row, as villagers and members of different political parties protested against the arrest of nine persons.
The protesters blocked the road at China Bridge in Dasu, the district headquarters of Upper Kohistan, suspending the flow of traffic on the only route between China and the rest of the country. They demanded the early release of nine persons who were arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order and sent to Central Prison Haripur on Saturday, for protesting against the death of a minor girl due to the negligence of doctors at a government hospital.
Dasu DSP called a meeting at Komila police station on Saturday where activists of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Qaumi Watan Party, other political parties and social workers were invited for dialogues on local issues. However, when they reached, the police arrested them and shifted them to Haripur prison. The police said the arrested people were accused of blocking the highway on November 3 while protesting the death of a minor girl who allegedly died due to the negligence of doctors at a government hospital.
The protest against the arrests started on Saturday. The parties’ workers and villagers remained adamant to keep KKH blocked until the accused are released. The district administration and police tried to convince the protesters to clear the road but efforts by the police did not end in results.
The protest left long queues of buses and vans stranded on the road for hours.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2014.