MARDAN: The District Bar Association on Sunday continued the protest against the decision of the provincial government to construct a family park on the land of old jail instead of a judicial complex. However, representatives of local government and civil society organisations held a camp in favour of the construction of the park. The previous provincial government allocated 460 kanals land for the construction of central jail near Mohabatabad village and 80 kanals and 8 marlas land for a judicial complex near the newly constructed jail. Later, when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came into power, the jail was shifted to the new building. The provincial government has decided to construct a family park on the land of old jail. The provincial government has also decided to construct a judicial complex near the new jail and shift the local courts. However, the district bar opposed the decision and demanded the provincial government to construct judicial complex on the premises of the old jail. The old complex is located at Mall Road, a congested area of the city, which poses security risk for the people living in the area. After the suicide attack at the local courts on September 1 last year, the district administration closed one side of the road in front of the local courts for traffic, which has created problems for the masses. Provincial president of Nazim Councillor Alliance Sajjad Iqbal, Begut Gunj Union Council Nazim Ali Ahmad, and Naib Nazim Fayyaz Khan also said the old courts complex was located in the congested area of the city and disturbs the life of people there.
