SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: The strategically significant Wana-Gomal Zam Road, a vital commercial route in Lower South Waziristan, has fallen into disrepair, troubling commuters, traders and residents alike while undermining regional connectivity.

The road serves as a key link connecting Wana with Dera Ismail Khan, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while also providing access toward neighbouring Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia. Despite its strategic importance, the deteriorating condition of the road has gradually eroded its role as a lifeline for transport, trade and communication.

Once envisioned as a pathway to development, the Wana-Gomal Zam Road now presents a troubling picture of neglect. Deep potholes, damaged bridges and broken culverts have significantly disrupted traffic flow and created constant safety risks for travellers.

Transporters say that travelling along the road has become extremely challenging. In some stretches, they add, movement has become nearly impossible.

Even light rainfall turns sections of the road into muddy and slippery patches, halting traffic for days.

These recurring disruptions not only hinder mobility but also severely affect economic activity in the region. Trade routes remain blocked, transport costs rise and the movement of goods slows down — all of which take a toll on the local economy.

Social activist Mohammadullah Wazir and former councillor Umar Khan Wazir told Dawn on Monday that due to the worsening condition of the road vehicles frequently broke down, while the constant threat of accidents made travel unsafe. During the rainy season, they noted road remained closed for days.

They emphasised that the road was an essential lifeline for the local population but had been neglected for years.

They said that patients faced difficulty reaching hospitals in emergencies, students struggled to attend educational institutions and traders encountered delays that disrupted their businesses.

Deputy commissioner Musarrat Zaman acknowledged the issue and told Dawn that a formal proposal for the reconstruction of the road had already been submitted to the provincial government.

However, local members of the Wazir tribe voiced strong reservations over the delay in reconstruction of the road.

They argued that despite remaining in power for over a decade, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in the province had yet to complete the reconstruction of the key road.

They called upon the federal government to intervene and ensure immediate reconstruction of this important artery.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026