TIMERGARA, November 8, 2026: Traders in Khall Bazaar, Lower Dir, observed a three-hour shutter-down strike and staged a protest against proposed shop demolitions under an anti-encroachment drive, accusing the district administration and National Highway Authority (NHA) of violating an earlier agreement on road clearance.
The protest, organised by the Khall Bazaar Traders Union with the participation of political representatives, brought commercial activity to a standstill as shops and business centres remained closed.
Demonstrators opposed the administration’s decision to mark shops according to a proposed 66-foot road clearance limit, maintaining that traders had already complied with an earlier agreement covering 40 feet of the GT Road.
Addressing the gathering, Khall Bazaar Traders Union President Akhunzada Hameed ur Rehman said traders had voluntarily removed encroachments within the agreed 40-foot limit in cooperation with the administration.
He said the subsequent marking of shops based on a 66-foot limit was unacceptable to the business community.
Other speakers included Akhunzada Tilawat Khan, former Jamaat-e-Islami provincial assembly candidate Shad Nawaz Khan, Akhunzada Fazil Syed, Malik Noman Yousafzai, Akhunzada Zahoor Zada, Akhunzada Hanif Ullah, Mian Shireen Zada and Akhunzada Taimur Shah.
Traders warn of wider protests
The speakers alleged that the district administration and NHA were disregarding the earlier agreement by expanding the proposed clearance area.
They expressed concern that demolishing hundreds of established shops could deprive traders of their livelihoods and affect thousands of families dependent on commercial activity in the bazaar.
The protesters warned that any demolition operation based on the 66-foot limit would face strong opposition from the business community.
They said traders could organise sit-ins and extend the shutter-down strike indefinitely if the authorities proceeded without addressing their concerns.
The speakers maintained that traders were willing to cooperate with the administration on removing encroachments within the previously agreed limits but would oppose further demolitions.
Traders seek intervention from district authorities
At the conclusion of the demonstration, traders appealed to the Deputy Commissioner of Lower Dir and the Commissioner of Malakand Division to intervene and resolve the dispute through negotiations.
They demanded that the authorities honour the earlier agreement, review the new markings and prevent the demolition of shops until the matter was settled.
The traders also called for a transparent consultation process to protect business activities while addressing road clearance requirements.
The administration’s response to the traders’ allegations was not available in the information provided.