CHITRAL, Jan 15: The district heads of all political parties have warned the government of district-wide wheel-jam strike if the passage through the Kunar province was not reopened for Chitrali travellers.

In the all parties meeting held here on Tuesday, the party leaders expressed their anguish and disappointment over the arbitrary action of Frontier Corps for closing the route which serves as the artery of Chitralis after the closure of Lowari.

They said that due to the hectic efforts by the District Nazim Shahazada Mohyuddin, the route was allowed by the Afghan government for Chitralis, but the men of FC both at Nawa Pass and Arandu treated the passengers like criminals and subjected them to physical and mental torture.

They said that the move to seal the borders was uncalled for as the provincial home department had issued a formal notification in this regard to the FC and the political authorities of Mohmand and Bajaur agencies after coming to an understanding with the Afghan consulate in Peshawar.

They said that the Chitralis were peace-loving people and have no connection with Al Qaeda; not one Chitrali had gone to fight in Afghanistan last year.

They added that there were still 18,000 Afghan refugees in Chitral and it was their right to safe passage to Afghanistan after the closure of the Lowari road.