SHANGL A: People of Batkot village here on Tuesday blocked the Karakoram Highway to traffic for four hours, demanding action against reckless driving.

A seven-year-old boy Naeem Ali was killed in the area when he was hit by a speeding vehicle on KKH the other day. The protesters were chanting slogans against the National Highway Authority and local police for not taking the issue seriously.

Led by Batkoot village council nazim Nowsherwan, they criticised the district administration, police and NHA for their failure to protect the lives of people, especially schoolchildren.

He said that several such incidents had occurred in the area, but despite their repeated neither speed breakers were built nor action was taken against those indulging in speeding.

The protesters set one week deadline for the NHA to construct speed breakers in the area. They dispersed after local tehsildar and SHO assured them that their demands would be met soon.

MUQAM CRITICISED: Special assistant to the chief minister for technical education, Arshad Umarzai, has said that PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam has been raising hollow slogans for the rights of people in the province, but his home district Shangla speaks of his poor performance.

He was speaking at a public meeting at Olandar here the other day. Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Sherpao was due to participate in the meeting, but he could not attend it due to bad weather.

However, Mr Umarzai and Fazal Rehman Nono addressed the meeting.

Mr Umarzai said that bad condition of Shangla`s infrastructure showed the performance of Mr Muqam whose family had been ruling in the district for over a decade now. He also announced a special grant of Rs50 million for development of Shangla. Correspondent