MANSEHRA: The severe chill in upper parts of Hazara has increased the sale of traditional Sharhai (shawl) woven at Khadi by men and women in the remote parts of the division.

The business of street vendors, who bring these Sharais from Allai area of Battagram district for sale in parts of Hazara, has increased manifold this time due to biting cold in the region.

`We are a group of streets vendors. We come from Allai area to sale these warm Sharhai. This time sale is beyond our expectations because of severe chill,` said Saifullah Khan.

He said that he had been selling Sharhai for the last many years. `This time cold is more severe and people are buying this warm stuff in large number,` he added.

Mr Khan said that men and women in Allai made Sharhai on Khadi and they bought the same from them in bulk. He said that local people, who bred sheep and goats, used wool in making Sharhai.

To a query, he said that they were selling the traditional shawl at Rs1,000 to Rs1,500. `It is cheaper than the shawls made in factories,` he added.

Sarfaraz Khan, a local buyer, said that the traditional shawls were not so fine yet those were much warmer as compared to the ones made infactories.

Meanwhile, the number of village and neighbourhood councils in Mansehra increased to 192 after Hazara commissioner accepted 24 complaints moved by local people about creation of more councils in the district for the upcoming local government elections.

`The number of village and neighbourhood councilsin Mansehra reached to 192 after the commissioner pronounced verdicts on 28 complaints regarding delimitations in the district, Mohammad Arshad, district supervisor of delimitation, told journalists here on Sunday.

He said that a total of 38 people had move commissioner Hazara, who is also having powers of a divisional appellant court for the delimitations of six districts of Hazara.

He said that the commissioner accepted pleas of 24 people and ordered formation of 24 more village and neighbourhood councils in the district.Mr Arshad said that earlier the district administration created a total of 168 village and neighbourhood councils in Mansehra.

He said that names of some of the village and neighbourhood councils were also changed as people had objected to the names. He said that out of the total, 18 were neighbourhood councils consisting of urban areas of the district including Balakot, Oghi, Shinkiari and Baffa.

Mr Arshad said that each of the previous municipal committees of Baffa and Oghi was divided into two while Balakot was divided into three neighbourhood councils.