Yarkhun residents want review in jurisdiction of new police station

The participants of the meeting said in order to facilitate the residents of the far-off Yarkhun valley the police department established the Yarkhun Lasht police station but without considering the geographical location of the area, all the villages from Istach village near Brep to the Broghil valley were brought under the limits of the new police station. Earlier, these villages were under the limits of the Mastuj police station. The move has put the local people of Istach, Dizg, Khruzg, Merting, Birzoz, Phashk, Lashdan, Imit, Bang lower, Bang upper, Mergram No 2, Urkhan, Dewser, Patrangaz, Pavur, Devser etc in an awkward situation. For instance, Istach, Dizg, Khruzg and Merting villages are located at a distance of just about 25 to 30 kilometres from Mastuj but now they have been brought under the new police station which is located at about 80 to 90 kilometres in the north. The area from Pavur to Istach consists of 60 to 70 per cent population of the whole Yarkhun but the new police station has been set up at the end of the valley near Broghil. Due to absence of proper road communication, people from the lower parts of Yarkhun are facing immense trouble and hardship to approach the new police station in Yarkhun Lasht. The participants of the meeting said the higher authorities of the police department had taken the step in good faith for facilitating the residents but the lower police staff belonging to Chitral did not take the geographical factors in mind while presenting the proposal to set up the police station in Lasht and including all these villages under its jurisdiction. Through a resolution, the participants demanded that the villages located in the southern part of the Yarkhun valley from Pavur to Istach should again be brought under the limits of the Mastuj police station. The area people also said they had planned a protest public gathering against the decision but due to the Section 144 already imposed in Chitral for two months it was delayed. They called upon the inspector general of the KP police and the district police officer Chitral to immediately review the decision and restore the jurisdiction of the Mastuj police station in the villages from Istach to Pavur. –Abdul Nasir Khan]]>