Prime Minister Likely to Inaugurate the Havelian-Mansehra Section of Motorway Before 15 October

MANSEHRA: The Havelian-Mansehra section of the Hazara Motorway will be opened to traffic by the middle of the current month as the National Highway Authority says work is almost complete.

“Work on Havelian-Mansehra section of the strategically important Hazara Motorway has almost been completed. The section can be inaugurated anytime,” China-Pakistan Economic Corridor general manager Tanveer Ahmad told reporters here on Friday.

Mr Ahmad said the lane marking on the section, which began last week, was nearing completion and once that happened, the section would be formally handed over to the government for opening to traffic.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had inaugurated the Burhan–Shah Maqsood section of Hazara Motorway in Dec 2017.

Sources in the NHA said Prime Minister Imran Khan was likely to inaugurate the Havelian-Mansehra section of the motorway before Oct 15.

They said the two-way Mansehra-Thakot section would be opened to traffic in Feb next year.

SUFFOCATED: Two brothers suffocated inside a well in Nakot area here on Friday.

Ijaz Ahmad and Mohammad Nisar had climbed down a well in their house to take out a goat, which had fallen into it. They fell unconscious after a poisonous gas filled the well.

The family and neighbours pulled the two out and shifted them to a nearby hospital, where the doctors pronounced them dead.

ACQUITTED: District and sessions judge of Torghar district Jamaluddin Khan on Friday acquitted a man of the charge of raping his sister-in-law earlier this year.

Also, a local court acquitted five policemen in a custodial death case.

Ghulam Hussain had died in custody at the Balakot police station with his family lodging a case against deputy superintendent of police Mukhtar Shah, inspector Ali Akbar, ASI Afsar Shah and police constables Saghir Ahmad and Zahid.

The court heard the counsel for both sides and pronounced the acquittal of all suspects.