SIALKOT: More than 150 people have died in accidents on the dilapidated 35km long Sialkot-Pasrur Road in the last one year, making it risky for travellers.

The road is crumbling and has developed deep ditches which cause accidents and damage to vehicles, turning into ponds in rainfall.

Local politicians are doing politics over the issue of the road which needs repair and widening for the last several decades, using it as a bait to get votes.

According to the Sialkot-based officials of Rescue 1122, the travel on the road has become very dangerous while quoting high figures of fatalities during road accidents on it.

The Sialkot-Pasrur Road connects Sialkot and Narowal districts through Pasrur, Badiana, Zafarwal, Chawinda, Qila Ahmedabad and Alipur Syedan.

The locals have held protests against this nasty situation time and again, demanding reconstruction of the road but in vain. They say that local public representatives, including Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid and MPAs Chaudhry Munnawar Ali Gill, Chaudhry Liaqat Ali and Rana Muhammad Afzal, had made promises of reconstruction and widening of the road but did not fulfill their promises.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2016