The Mansehra district administration on Monday enforced a ban on all construction activities within 200 feet of the Kunhar River in Kaghan Valley, following directives from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and a recent court ruling.
According to an official order issued by the deputy commissioner, the decision complied with a verdict from the Abbottabad Circuit Bench of the Peshawar High Court, which instructed the provincial government to halt all building activity along the riverbanks. Acting on these directions, the Commissioner of Hazara Division instructed local authorities to implement the ban without delay.
The deputy commissioner invoked Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to impose the restriction, stating that the ban is effective immediately and will remain in force for two months. Violators will face legal action under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The directive also cited the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa River Protection Ordinance, 2002, as a legal basis for the action.
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Recent years have seen severe flash floods in the region, causing major damage to infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and hotels. One such incident last year left the Kaghan Valley isolated after the Mahandri Bridge collapsed and parts of the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road were submerged, disrupting traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan for more than two weeks.
