CHITRAL: A group of prominent citizens of the border areas of southern Chitral have demanded of the army chief to visit the district to allay the fears and reservations of the people after the attack of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan militants on the posts of security forces on Sept 6.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the group led by former district council member Abdul Majeed Qureshi, Amir Gulab Khan, Abdul Wali Khan, Sarawat Kalash, Imranul Mulk, Khalilur Rehman, Wajeehuddin and others said a high degree of unrest and discontent prevailed in the whole district, while situation was highly tense in the border villages.

They said the people of Chitral had an unflinching trust and confidence in the strength of their security forces to defend the country against any aggression, but at the same time the recent incursions in Astoi, Jinjiret Koh and Arsoon had filled them with fear and apprehensions.

The elders said the residents of border areas had always been and would stand by the security forces in the fight against any act of aggression against their motherland.

They also asked the government to withdraw the ban on the arrival of tourists to the Kalash valleys, which was imposed after the Sept 6 occurrence.

They reiterated that tourism was one of the major sources of their economy, and banning tourists’ entry to the area would cripple them financially.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2023