KOHALA (Kashmir English): The Tehreek Awami Haqooq Circle Bakote held a protest, jamming the Muzaffarabad–Rawalpindi road and paralyzing the traffic on it.
The protest, which allegedly drew inspiration from the recent moves of the Awami Action Committee in Azad Kashmir, stranded thousands of passengers, including patients, for hours.
Protesters from the Hazara region had shut down the main Pindi–Muzaffarabad highway to press their demands, including the grant of tehsil status to Circle Bakote and the issuance of an immediate notification of constituency.
The critics say that the population of the area was too small for tehsil status and termed the demands “unnecessary” and difficult to justify.
The blockade compelled hundreds of passenger vehicles to return to Muzaffarabad, and no government or private vehicle was allowed to proceed due to the Circle Bakot protest.
The long-standing closure caused immense hardship to commuters and residents on both sides of the route.
Protesters are also demanding the construction of the Nimbal–Bakote road and the upgradation of local hospitals, schools, and colleges.
Soon after the protest gained momentum, AC Galiat M. Shamim reached the site for negotiations.
The PML-N leader, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, along with district administration officials, also arrived to hold talks.
To maintain law and order, around 300 police personnel from Abbottabad, Lora, and Murree were deployed, in addition to teams from the Special Branch, FIA, Cyber Crime, and Traffic Police.
The administration tried to clear the highway, but protesters showed determination and said they would not leave without the acceptance of their demands for a sit-in.
