Mansehra: The Chinese engineering company executing the Dasu Hydropower Project has completed construction of the first arch bridge on the alternative 52km realignment of the Karakoram Highway (KKH). Built over the Dogah Nullah in Upper Kohistan, the 78 metre long Dogah Concrete Arch Bridge spans 11.3 metres in width and includes a 10 metre carriageway alongside protective shoulders.

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) confirmed the structure’s completion on Monday, describing it as a major logistical milestone. The newly constructed bridge forms part of a relocated section of the highway built at a higher elevation, necessary as the existing KKH route will eventually be submerged once the Dasu Dam reservoir is filled. The bridge design adheres strictly to standards established under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure frameworks to withstand local seismic and environmental conditions.

In a separate development in the region, Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Sardar Mohammad Riaz from Kolai Palas announced he will convene a tribal jirga on September 14, following an armed attack on his convoy. The provincial legislator reported that his vehicle was targeted by unidentified gunmen who fired roughly 500 rounds on the border of Kolai Palas and Allai districts on Saturday, September 5.

Speaking to reporters in Mansehra alongside local elders, Sardar Riaz criticised local police for failing to make any arrests following the ambush. He stated that the scheduled jirga in Pattan will address growing tribal tensions over disputed meadows, which have disrupted local schooling and led to food supply shortages across neighbouring communities.