MANSEHRA: People from different walks of life took to the streets to protest the collection of toll tax at the Karakoram Highway toll plaza in Khatain da Galla here on Tuesday.
The protesters, including traders, gathered on the main road and chanted slogans in support of their demand to stop tax collection at the toll plaza. They said that instead of withdrawing the levy, the government had increased the toll from Rs70 to Rs100.
“We have repeatedly made it clear that Mansehra and Abbottabad have effectively become twin cities. Students, traders, patients and other commuters travel frequently between the two districts, and the toll tax places an unnecessary financial burden on them,” one of the protesters said.
The demonstrators demanded that the federal government either abolish the toll plaza at Khatain da Galla or relocate it elsewhere, arguing that residents of Mansehra should not be forced to pay toll tax while travelling within their own district.
They warned that if their demand was not accepted, they would expand the protest movement.Meanwhile, police seized a large cache of arms and ammunition during a search-and-strike operation in Oghi tehsil.A police team led by SHO Oghi Tasawar Shah recovered the weapons during raids conducted in various mountainous areas of the tehsil.
“We have launched the operation in the mountainous areas of Oghi and its adjoining localities. Suspects wanted by the police are also being arrested during the operation,” Shah said.He said that according to intelligence reports, timber smugglers were using remote routes to transport illegally cut timber. He added that police had also been deployed in inaccessible areas and along the smuggling routes to prevent the illegal transportation of timber.The SHO said the search operation would continue until the complete elimination of criminal activities and illegal timber smuggling in the area.
