MNA seeks opening of Afghan route for Chitral

DAWN-----

By Zar Alam Khan

ISLAMABAD: Member National Assembly from Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin has asked the government to immediately hold talks with the authorities in Kabul to open Afghanistan via the Khyber Pass as an alternative route to his district which remains cut-off from rest of the country after the closure of the Lowari Pass.
Thousands of people have been stranded in both Chitral and Peshawar after the PIA also cancelled its flights to the district due to inclement weather. Besides, supply of essential commodities including petroleum products, LPG cylinders, food items and life-saving drugs has been stopped for the last one-and-a-half months due to which the people are facing a crisis-like situation, he said while talking to Dawn.
For the last over 15 years, the people of the valley had been using the Kunar-Nawa pass route via Afghanistan during the closure of the Lowari Pass, the only land route connecting the valley with other parts of the country. However, due to the military operation in Mohmand Agency, this route has also been shut on the Chitralis.
The MNA criticised the Foreign Office for its failure to take the issue seriously and hold talks with Kabul to open the alternative route. He said people going from Peshawar to Chitral were allowed to use the route without hindrance by Afghan authorities but the security personnel in Chitral were not allowing those coming from Chitral to enter Afghanistan saying they had not received any directives to open the route.
He said despite repeated appeals, the government had failed to comprehend the gravity of the situation and take measures to resolve the problem. He warned that if the authorities did not act timely, his constituency would face a humanitarian crisis.