MANSEHRA, March 31: Scores of people on Saturday took to the streets in Darband area to press the government for declaring Tanawal a district.

Led by their elders, including Wali Mohammad Khan, Zahoor Ahmad, Mohammad Liaquat and Abdul Razzaq, the protesters marched through Darband holing banners and placards and shouting slogans for Tanawal district.

“We, the people of Tanawal, are denied basic rights and therefore, want their area to be given the status of a district to claim their rights. However, if that doesn’t happen, we’ll agitate,” local elder Wali Mohammad Khan said.

He said Tanawal covered a vast area in the entire Hazara Division and bordered Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur but its people were denied their basic rights and development.

Mr Wali regretted that there existed not a single degree college for women in Tanawal.

He said provincial chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti had given Torghar the status of district though it had no more than 10 per cent of Tanawal area and population. He also said thousands of people in Tanawal were displaced by Tarbela dam construction.

Mr Liaquat said people of Tanawal rendered great sacrifices for the province’s progress, while their entire agriculture land was consumed by the dam but the area was still without basic facilities.

He said grant of the district status would bring progress to Tanawal.

Meanwhile, people of Siren and Konsh valleys in Mansehra on Saturday criticised the district administration for failing to enforce the court’s order for fare reduction.

Mohammad Adeeb and Mohammad Saeed, who led a group of people from the two areas, said that they had moved a local court against the illegally high fare.