BAJAUR: Participants of a jirga on Saturday demanded the immediate reopening of the prolonged closure of the three border points with Afghanistan here for both mutual trade and people’s movement.

The jirga, called by Awami National Party at Bajaur Press Club in Khar, was attended by elders, religious figures, political and trader leaders, social activists and youth leaders.

The participants said Bajaur had three major Pak-Afghan routes, including Nawa Pass, Ghakhi Pass and Litai Pass, but they had been closed to all movements since 2007 due to security reasons.

They said that prolonged border closure was badly hit residents as those routes had long been used for trade and people’s movement.

Speakers insist prolonged border closure has hit trade, people’s movement

The participants said locals were associated with trade with Afghanistan in large numbers, so the closure of those border points had affected them financially.

The key speakers included local ANP MPA Nisar Khan, ANP district president Gul Afzal Khan, PPP district president Haji Sher Bahadar, Jamaat-i-Islami deputy chief Haji Sardar Khan, Bajaur Chamber of Commerce president Haji Lali Shah, ANP central leader Maulana Khan Zab, All Bajaur Political Parties Alliance founding chairman Qazi Abdul Manan, and elders Sheikh Jan Zada, Malik Mohammad Ayaz Khan, Malik Wahid Khan, Malik Hifzoor Khan. Malik Gulzada, Haji Said Ahmed Jan and Imran Mahir.

They said the route reopening would not only restore trade between Bajaur and Afghan’s Kunar province but improve peace in border areas as well.

The speakers asked Pakistani and Afghan governments to sort out issues and ensure early end to the closure of border routes to benefit people of both countries.

They insisted that the border reopening won’t disturb peace in border areas as Chaman, Torkham, Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi routes to Afghanistan had already been functional.

The speakers urged both Islamabad and Kabul to set aside their bilateral differences and work for their people’s development.

They said that they would continue advocating for the early resolution of the issue.

CONVICTED: A court here on Saturday convicted a man of killing his wife and awarded 26-year imprisonment and Rs500,000 fine to him.

Additional sessions judge Abdul Hassan Mohmand declared the sentence at the conclusion of the hearing into the case.

The accused, Rizwanullah, a resident of Lowi Sam area of Khar tehsil, shot his wife dead on July 13, 2023.

The judge declared that the convict would serve one year of hard labour in jail.

He added that besides 26-year imprisonment, the convict would also pay Rs500,000 to legal heirs of the deceased and in case of non-payment, he would spend six more months in prison.

The convict’s lawyer and family members announced they would challenge the verdict in the Peshawar High Court.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2024