January 20, 2003	Monday	Ziqa'ad 16, 1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 19: A People’s Party leader of Neelum Valley has called upon the governments in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad to ensure that the main road of the valley remained open for traffic, or else the residents would be forced to migrate from the area.

“For us, the perpetual closures of the main road is the biggest issue, and we want a permanent solution to it,” said Mian Abdul Waheed, the leader, at a press conference here on Sunday.

At least 100 people from the lower and upper belts of the valley, including former members of the local bodies institutions, were also present on the occasion.

Mr Waheed said the valley was one-fifth of the total area of Azad Kashmir, and 90 out of its 96 revenue villages were on the target of India.

“The biggest problem is the closures of the road, and it is aggravating our other miseries. They (closures) have turned the valley into a prison for its residents. We do not have any way to come out of it,” he said.

The Neelum Valley road which runs on the right bank of River Neelum has been closed to all kinds of traffic since long for being in the range of Indian firing.

Some 10 years ago, the government had built two alternate routes, Lesva bypass in the lower belt and Karen bypass in the upper belt, to avoid the Indian shelling. But these two routes are also vulnerable to the enemy’s mortar and artillery shelling at several points.