SHANGLA: Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Amir Muqam has pledged to reconstruct roads in Shangla in the coming months.

The minister, who is also provincial president of PML-N, visited Pishlor on Sunday to offer condolence to the families of victims of Kotkay tragedy. Six friends were killed and two others were injured in a road accident in Kotkay area of Alpuri. They were residents of Pishlor and Gujar Banda.

The minister offered fateha for the deceased at Jamia Masjid Pishlor and expressed heartfelt sympathy with the affected families. He said that he would talk to prime minister to provide special financial assistance to the affected families.

Mr Muqam said that Shangla was consisted of hard terrains and its roads were not in a good condition. He pledged that road projects and other schemes would be initiated in the district in the coming months.

He said that federal government was striving for prosperity and development of the country despite combating the challenge of terrorism.

The six fiends, who were killed in the road accident, were indetified as Shah Faisal, Amir Sohail, Fazlullah, Rahamdullah and Salman, who belonged to Pishlor, while late Naseeb Zar belonged to Gujjar Banda.

Mr Muqam assured the affected families of all possible support and prayed for the speedy recovery of injured.

ARREST: Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested a proclaimed offender, who was wanted in three different fraud cases to Alpuri and Dandai police stations.

Alpuri SHO Mohammad Arif Khan told this scribe that they arrested the proclaimed offender, who had been at large for the last several months. He said that the accused Ali Rehman was wanted to Alpuri and Dandai police stations in three different cases of fraud.

He said that the arrested man used to give cheques to people to purchase different goods. He said that cheques were bounced as his bank account was empty. He said that the accused would attend telephone calls of the fraud victims, who lodged FIRs against him.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2025