THE people of Gilgit-Baltistan are happy because of the development work in progress in their region for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. They hope that the project will bring prosperity to the region.

The Karakaram Highway (KKH) is the main route which will be used for trade not only between the two countries but for the region as well. The increase in vehicular traffic, however, has a downside. Many innocent people have lost their lives in accidents, especially people residing in close vicinity to the KKH.

Many of the accidents were caused by the failure to observe traffic regulations. There is no defined speed limit, particularly near the small towns along both sides of KKH. This is a major reason for pedestrians being run over by fast-moving vehicles.

The Karakaram Highway authorities are requested to strictly enforce traffic rules and speed limits.

Maqsad Jan

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2017