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CHITRAL, June 11 (APP): A local court at Booni, some 75 km from District
Headuarter Chitral, acquitted scores of social and political activists belonging to Kosht in a case registered against them for holding a protest in October 2015.
The Booni Police had registered the FIR under Section 341 of the
Pakistan Penal Code against about 114 people from Kosht after they held a protest demonstration on Charun Bridge and blocked the Chitral-Mastuj road on October 1, 2015, for not reconstruction of the only bridge in their area.
Those booked by the police included Muhammad Younus Khan, Village
Council Kosht Nazim Ghulam Mursaleen, Naib Nazim Waqar Ahmed, Jamaat-e-Islami Kosht Chief Nadir Khan, social and political activist Morder Mir Ayub Khan, Habib Anwar Lal, late Bulbul Khan Ayubi, Kissan Councilor Rafi and Rizwanullah Shah.
The Civil Judge in Booni while acquitting the protesters observed that
their demand was genuine and they had dispersed peacefully after holding talks with an elected representative.
The Kosht Bridge was washed away in the July 2015 floods along with the
Muxgol Bridge, cutting off the whole Kosht area from the rest of the district.
The people of the valley used a private chairlift to cross the river and
reached Charun.
Later, a steel bridge was installed at the site of the damaged Kosht
Bridge which collapsed in May 2016, killing three people, including contractors Bulbul Khan Ayubi and Fida Hussain of Zait.