BAJAUR: Participants of a Qaumi Jirga here on Saturday called for reopening of border routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan for both business and people’s movement in Bajaur.

The jirga was organised by Awami National Party’s district chapter in Chamarkand tehsil, located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border some 50 Km from Khar, the district headquarters.

Area elders, religious leaders and political and social activists attended the gathering, demanding the governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan to reopen the border routes in Bajaur for bilateral trade and people’s movement.

ANP district general secretary Nisar Baz Khan said in a statement that these routes had been closed since 2007. Party’s central working committee member Sheikh Jan Zada, Nisar Baz, Bajaur Chamber of Commerce president Haji Lali Shah, Malik Gulab Noor and several others addressed the jirga.

They said that reopening of the border routes would contribute to the socioeconomic development of local residents.

The speakers pointed out that there were several routes in Bajaur connecting the district with Afghanistan through neighbouring Kunar province.

According to the statement, the speakers expressed concern over the prolonged closure of border routes and said that Ghakhi Pass, Nawa Pass, Kaga Pass and Letai Pass were among the major routes that could facilitate business and movement of people of the two countries.

They urged both the countries to take steps for immediate reopening of the border routes in the districtso that the residents could resume trade activities with people of the neighbouring areas of Afghanistan.

The jirga participants also showed concern over the absence of basic facilities in Chamarkand tehsil. They claimed that local tehsildar had been absent from duty for the last several weeks while there was no police station in the entire tehsil.

They asked the provincial government and district administration to take notice of the absence of tehsildar, police station and lack of basic facilities in the region.

Published in Dawn,June 19th, 2022