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       MANSEHRA: An enraged crowd set on fire the structure of a toll tax plaza before it could be installed on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road in Bisian area of Balakot here on Thursday night.

       “This toll tax plaza cannot be erected here as it is hardly 50 kilometres away from another toll point on the Karakoram Highway in Khatain Da Galla near Mansehra,” Liaqat Khassan, a member of the Balakot tehsil council, told reporters on Friday.

       The crowd, including transporters, traders, and local community members, gathered in Bisian after a National Highway Authority team began installing the plaza to collect toll tax from motorists travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

       The protesters chanted slogans against the NHA and the government, condemning the move as an ‘attempt’ to sabotage the tourism industry of Kaghan Valley and the rest of Balakot tehsil.

       Burn structure; insist a collection point already exists in the area

       They also warned NHA officials against proceeding with the installation, stating that the Balakot Tehsil Municipal Administration had already passed a resolution barring toll tax collection at this location.

       “This is the fifth time locals have foiled an attempt to install this toll tax collection point. However, NHA officials tried to set it up again under the cover of night,” Mr Khassan said.

       He claimed that the NHA chairman and general manager were unaware of this attempt to install the plaza.

       “NHA deputy director Javed Saifullah along with junior officials tried to establish this toll collection point, but locals peacefully sent them back and burnt the structure. The remaining equipment has been shifted to the Balakot police station using TMA vehicles,” Mr Khassan claimed.

       He urged the NHA to avoid creating law and order issues by provoking locals with such actions.

       KKH CLOSURE SCHEDULE: The Upper Kohistan district administration has decided to revise the schedule for closing the Karakoram Highway for the transportation of Chinese engineers and workers executing the 4,300MW Dasu hydropower project and the smooth flow of traffic.

       “The security of Chinese nationals is our top priority, but we also aim to ensure the uninterrupted movement of traffic on the KKH allowing government employees, patients, students, and passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan to reach their destinations on time. Therefore, we are revising the schedule for Chinese’ transportation from residential camps to project sites,” Upper Kohistan deputy commissioner Tariq Ali Khan told reporters on Friday.

       A meeting chaired by Mr Khan and attended by the district police officer, special task force officials and general manager of Dasu hydropower project decided to reschedule the KKH closure for the transportation of Chinese nationals from their residential camps to working sites.

       “We have also consulted senior Chinese officials involved in the project, and they have agreed to facilitate travellers on the KKH both within the district and beyond,” he added.

       The DC said that currently Chinese engineers and workers were being transported under strict security measures, with the KKH being closed from 7am to 9pm.

       “We now plan to restrict traffic on this key route only from 9am to 11am to benefit the local community, government employees, patients, students, and passengers travelling between KP and GB, and this change will soon be implemented with the consent of our Chinese guests,” DC Khan said.

       Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2025