October 25, 2005	Tuesday	Ramzan 20, 1426

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GILGIT, Oct 24: Schools, colleges and the Karakoram International University may reopen after Eid holidays. Almost all educational institutions in Gilgit were closed after the Oct 13 violence.

Official sources said: “The administration will consider reopening the educational institutions (both government and private) after Eid, but it is subject to improvement in the law and order situation.” Because the closure of schools that examination schedules and other programmes have been postponed. A new date would be announced later for the programmes.

HUNGER STRIKE: Meanwhile, over 41 people detained under 16 MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) have started a hunger strike against unhygienic food, maltreatment and inadequate facilities in the barracks they were shifted on Thursday.

The barracks had been built for the Frontier Constabulary in the Sakwar neighbourhood.

The sources said detainees from both the sects had jointly displayed handwritten placards outside their cells that inscribed “Sunni-Shia Ittehad for hunger strike”.

CURFEW: The local administration relaxed curfew for seven hours (from 8am to 3pm) on the 12th day of curfew on Monday.

Many people came out of their houses for Eid shopping and to buy commodities of daily use during the break. The traffic on the roads also marked an improved presence after a long time.

The security forces have established pickets atop high-rise buildings throughout the city to monitor the situation.

Trucks and lorries laden with fresh goods and supplies were allowed to enter the city for offloading the goods.

TRADERS FACE PROBLEMS: Thousands of tons of imported goods from China were lying at the Sust Dry Port after customs clearance as the importers were not getting lorries and trucks for shipment of their goods to upcountry markets, the traders said.

The traders said that as a large number of trucks and lorries were engaged in supplying relief goods to quake-hit areas in AJK and NWFP so they were facing a big problem in transportation of goods.

They said the another reason for the delay in transportation was the deteriorating law and order situation in Gilgit which deterred truck drivers from travelling to Sust despite the fact that the 600-km long Karakoram Highway remained safe during the turmoil in Gilgit.

Traders said that due to shortage of vehicles the transporters had increased freight charges from Rs26,000 to Rs70,000 between Sust and Rawalpindi.

The Northern Areas Importers and Exporters Association representatives said that the perishable items including fruits were fast rotting in godowns and other items were lying open around the dry port.

They said they would incur huge losses if arrangements were not made to ship their merchandise to markets before Eid-ul-Fitr.

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