GUJAR KHAN: The Kallar Syedan-Dahan Gali Road, which leads to Azad Kashmir from Islamabad, had been dug for laying gas supply lines a year ago and is yet to be repaired.

Dahan Gali is one of the oldest roads in the region and its name comes from the fact that grains from the plains of Potohar and salt from Khewra have been transported via this road for a long time to areas of Kashmir by passing the Jhelum River.

The hillocks along the twisting Jhelum Road at the mouth of the Mangla Dam make for beautiful scenery.

Though the area has never seen much development, it still attracts many tourists from Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other areas from the region.

The road linking the area to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was dug up by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines authorities during the tenure of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Locals say the project was started during the time of Mr Abbasi but was never finished.

The trenched dug up for laying gas supply lines have made the road dangerous to travel on.

A local journalist, Chaudhry Ulfat Sahot, told Dawn that the roads caters to Dhadial and Mirpur as well as Knoah, Choah Khalisa, Sar Suba Shah, Khamb and many other localities.

Mr Sahot said three prime ministers — Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi — had promised to upgrade the road to a dual carriage way.

He said the bad condition of the thoroughfare has led to many accidents and that the road is also important from a defence point of view.

Pipes have been laid in some of the trenches and are half buried which also lead to severe injuries in case of accidents, Mr Sahot said.

He said the road is used by children to get to school in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Kallar Syedan as well as patients.

Residents of the area have urged the prime minister to take notice of the matter and get the road repaired.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2019