THIS refers to the plight of the residents of Torkhow and Upper Mulkhow valleys in Upper Chitral. About a hundred thousand people are facing issues of road connectivity with the rest of the district and the country.

This situation was created when a decades-old wooden bridge on the main road, which was connecting these valleys to the rest of the country, fell down into the ravine, killing a truck driver earlier this year. The authorities have failed to make an alternative arrangement since then. With heavy snowfall, the valley braces for a long winter, and the people fear that the disconnected valleys may be short of essential supplies.

Further delays in providing an alternative bridge may leave people unable to access essential services, including health and education, in other parts of the district.

Over the last few weeks, the people of Torkhow have staged sit-ins and held demonstrations against the negligence of the authorities.

But both the government and mainstream national media have kept mum. The voices of people from these far-flung valleys deserve to be heard.

Sher Rahmat Khan
Melbourne, Australia

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2020