A high-level meeting held at the New Circuit House on Monday officially approved the collection of toll tax from tourists and passengers traveling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. The decision allows the National Highway Authority (NHA) to begin toll collection at a plaza installed in the scenic Kaghan Valley.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Khalid Iqbal and attended by local lawmaker MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani, former minister Syed Ahmad Hussain Shah, PML-N President Syed Junaid Qasim, Hoteliers Association Naran President Seth Matiullah, police officials, and others.
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The DC confirmed that the federal government had already notified the plaza’s setup and approved Rs. 4 billion for road and infrastructure development in the region. He added that residents of Mansehra district would be exempted from paying the toll.
District Police Officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur urged all parties to maintain peace, emphasizing that the plaza is a federally approved initiative.
However, concerns were raised by hoteliers, with Seth Matiullah warning that the toll plaza near Naran could disrupt traffic and further burden the already taxed tourism industry. He urged the government to reconsider.
Last week, angry protesters dismantled and threw the earlier toll booth into the Kunhar River, signaling strong local opposition.
