MANSEHRA: The Torghar administration on Monday began registering motorboats, a major means of travel and transportation between the district and parts of Hazara and Malakand divisions via the Indus River, to ensure passenger safety.

“We have initiated registration of boats used as a main means of travel to parts of Malakand and the rest of Hazara division via the Indus River. You should get your boats registered with the district administration and follow the standard operating procedures set by the government for water transportation,” said Jamil Hussain Shah, Kundar Hassanzai Assistant Commissioner, while speaking to boat operators during a visit to the Indus riverside in Godhar area.

Torghar, which was given the status of a settled district in 2011 after being bifurcated from Mansehra district, still lacks road infrastructure, and people mostly rely on boats to travel to Malakand, Haripur and the rest of Hazara division.

“In the past, people lost their precious lives due to the sinking of boats, but now we want to make them safer and more convenient for passengers, including women and children. You should extend your support by having your boats registered with the district administration,” Mr Shah said.

The AC, accompanied by the tehsil municipal administration officials, inspected the boats docked in the Godhar area and checked their operational condition.

SCHOOLS UPGRADED: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday upgraded 14 public-sector primary, middle and high schools in Balakot tehsil.

“I have asked the education department to upgrade government primary schools to middle, middle schools to high and high schools to higher secondary level. As many as 14 educational institutions have been upgraded in the first phase of the school upgradation initiative,” MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani told reporters.

“The government has upgraded hundreds of schools across the province, and 14 of them are also in Kaghan and Manoor valleys in Balakot tehsil,” Mr Lughmani said.

“Teaching and other staff, if needed, would also be posted to these schools so that fresh classes could also be initiated there,” Mr Lughmani said.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026