MINGORA: Speakers at a meeting here on Monday demanded of the government to rehabilitate the British-era railway track in Dargai and extend it to Malakand division.

The meeting was attended by members of civil society from different districts of Malakand division including Swat, Shangla, Buner, Dir, Chitral and Malakand.

The speakers said that the railway track had been laid till Dargai in 1886 that was functional till 1992.

“We are living in a country where standard infrastructure and communication lines, installed by British, have been made non-functional though there is need of the train facility owing to increase in population. Instead of extending it to Malakand division, government has closed the existing track,” said Burhan Khan, a civil society member in Swat.

The speakers said that population of Malakand division increased 20 to 30 times since nineties for which the government should have planned to extend the railway track to different districts of the division.

Participants of meeting say train service to facilitate traders of Malakand

“We expect that the present government will not only think about it but make it practical as till Dargai there exist not only the rail track but also railway station, which is still in good condition,” said Imad Hussain, a resident of Batkhela.

The participants of the meeting said that waiting rooms, offices and platforms of the railway station were in good condition and needed a little repair.

“The traders of Malakand division go to Lahore for business. For the purpose 20 buses daily go from Swat only and 50 to 60 buses daily leave other districts of Malakand division for Lahore,” they added.

The speakers said that transportation of goods through train would facilitate traders of the region.

“Extension of railway track to entire Malakand division will also provide cheap means of transportation to millions of passengers,” said Khan Nawab, a resident of Mingora.

The speakers said that local traders transported their goods through trucks from Karachi that was expensive as compared to train.

“When Dargai railway station was functional, one bogie of goods would charge about Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 while a truck charges about Rs200,000 for transporting the same quantity of goods,” they added.

They said that the government must take it serious and take steps to extend the railway track to Malakand division for benefits of the people.

Published in Dawn January 17th, 2017