10 March 2005	Thursday	28 Muharram 1426

LANDI KOTAL, March 9: The closure of smuggling routes in Bara tehsil has rendered hundreds of carriers jobless and some of them have switched over to alternate and unfrequented routes in Jamrud tehsil.

The Khyber Agency political administration with the assistance of Mahsud Scouts had on Feb 9 closed all the routes used for bringing in smuggled goods from Afghanistan to Qambarkhel area after three clans of the Qambarkhels developed differences over distribution of money collected at various illegal checkpoints established in the area.

Armed tribesmen belonging to Dre Plara, Sheikhmalkhel and Wandgari used to collect money from all vehicles carrying smuggled goods into Bara. The administration interfered after Sheikhmalkhel tribesmen forcibly occupied all the checkpoints and a religious group led by Haji Namdar threatened to attack vehicles and the checkpoints.

The ban on the movement of smuggled goods affected about 10,000 people, a warehouse owner, Haji Mula Jan, told Dawn. He said there were at least 50 labourers in each of about 200 warehouses in Bara. More than 70 per cent of them had become jobless, he said.

He said the number of customers had also dropped because of shortage of stock. While Mula Jan lamented the routes' closure, a ladies' fabric dealer Kirpal Singh expressed the hope that he would be able to clear old stocks at his shop.

Hundreds of carriers took out a procession on Feb 19 in Bara to press the administration to lift the ban. A carrier, Zakir Shah, said the ban had rendered him jobless. Most carriers transported foreign goods on camels and donkeys.

Many of them have been compelled to find alternative manual jobs, while those belonging to Afghanistan have gone back to their country, said Ihsanullah, a carrier. He said two of his colleagues had switched over to polishing shoes at Karkhano market.

Bara Assistant Political Agent Zaheerul Islam said all the smuggling routes had been effectively closed but some carries have switched over to alternate routes in Jamrud tehsil.

The carriers have adopted the difficult route from across the border to Karkhano market via Bazaar-Zakhakhel, Sor Kamar, Ali Masjid and Ghondi in Jamrud. The new route is also manned by law-enforcement agencies at various points.