CHITRAL, May 4: Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani visited the border areas of Chitral district with Afghanistan to review measures taken to stop infiltration of militants from across the border.

At the end of his two-day visit to Chitral on Friday, the Peshawar corps commander spoke to the local elders and said to effectively stop the infiltration the road communication system must be strengthened. He maintained that all strategic roads would be constructed on priority basis.

Mr Rabbani said work on the 32-km-long Mirkhani-Arandu road was being started by the army while the road to the strategically important border village of Baroghil, situated near Wakhan corridors of Afghanistan, will also be connected to the rest of the district.

The general eulogised the cooperation of the people of Chitral for warding off the militants and said the peace was a prerequisite for development activities.

He said the development works as announced by the army chief during his visit to Chitral last year will be carried out soon in the border villages.

The corps commander said that Lowari tunnel was kept intact for vehicular traffic throughout the winter season after the closure of the Lowari Top. He said the remaining work of the tunnel would be completed as and when the requisite funds were made available.

The operational commander of Malakand and Chitral Maj-Gen Qamar was also present.

Earlier, the corps commander Peshawar landed at Baroghil area and met the jawans of Chitral Scouts posted there.

WIND FALLEN TREES: Leaders of joint forest management committees (JFMCs) of Bumburate, Birir, Damil, Arandu and Sheshi Koh have urged the government to go ahead with its plan for transportation of ageing and wind fallen deodar trees from the forests to timber market.

Speaking at a press conference here the other day, the leaders, including Syed Taufiq Jan, Ahmed Saeed, Haji Shifa, Abdul Majid Qureshi and others, claimed that green trees in the forests were not being cut. They also rejected assertion by some political activists in Chitral that ruthless cutting of forest was going on.

“The government should not pay heed to such people,” they said. They said that under the JFMCs, local people had been empowered by the forest department to manage and oversee harvesting activities in forests, while they were also being given royalty on timber shifted from the forests to market.

Accusing former MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and former tehsil nazim Shahzada Sikandar of inciting people against royalty holders, they said that the Supreme Court had already given its verdict in their favour.

They asked the apex court to take notice of propaganda of the residents of Ayun and certain political leaders. The leaders of forest committees warned that precious timber of deodar would be spoiled if its transportation to the market was delayed.