MANSEHRA, Aug 30: The residents of Kohistan, protesting against suspension of recruitments in police department, were persuaded by District Police Officer Abdul Majeed Afridi on Thursday to reopen Karakoram Highway keeping in view miseries of passengers.  

However, District Coordination Officer Aqal Badshah claimed that protesters reopened Karakoram Highway (KKH) when provincial chief secretary announced that recruitment process would be resumed on Friday morning.

“The protesters reopened KKH after government announced to resume the recruiting process for 115 vacant posts of policemen,” Mr Badshah told journalists on Thursday night.

When asked if transfer order of DPO Afridi was also withdrawn, he said that no such decision was taken yet.

Sources said that even after announcement of resumption of recruiting process the protesters were not ready to reopen the road as they were demanding cancellation of transfer order of the DPO. But the DPO convinced them to reopen the road as passengers were suffering, they added. Earlier in the day, protesters asked DCO Badshah to leave Kohistan to avoid wrath of the people.The passengers stranded in Kohistan owing to continued blockade of KKH started moving to their destinations on foot.

The protesters were demanding resumption of recruiting process and withdrawal of transfer orders of DPO Afridi, who, according to them, was being punished for not bowing down to political pressure of the local PMA. — Correspondent