Angoor Adda border crossing to reopen permanently for commercial activity

WANA: The government has finalized a comprehensive framework to permanently reopen Angoor Adda crossing - a key trade point along the Pak-Afghan border for commercial activity, said a senior officer on Wednesday.

“Trade operations will resume soon, bringing economic relief and opportunities to the region,” stated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah while speaking at a function here on Wednesday.

The chief secretary and Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed visited Wana, the administrative headquarters of South Waziristan. The officials were received by tribal elders from the Ahmadzai Wazir, Dotani, and Suleman Khel tribes.

A grand jirga was convened at the Scouts Camp Wana, where local elders, religious scholars, and political leaders engaged in dialogue with the visiting officials. The gathering was also attended by regional officials, including Dera Ismail Khan Commissioner Zafar Islam, DIG Dera Ashfaq Anwar, Lower Waziristan Deputy Commissioner Nasir Khan, and District Police Officer Asif Bahadur.

The chief secretary listened to the concerns and demands raised by the tribal representatives. He ordered immediate entertainment of several key requests and assured the community that their voices would not go unheard.

Addressing the jirga, the chief secretary said praised the people of Wana for rendering invaluable sacrifices in the fight for peace and standing firm in 2007 and getting rid of the area of militants and protect their homeland from foreign elements.

However, he warned that recent years have seen a resurgence of instability. “If internal divisions are not resolved and unified efforts toward peace not initiated soon, the region could face even greater challenges. But if action is taken now, further bloodshed can be avoided,” he stressed.

Highlighting the link between peace and progress, the official noted that a stable environment would pave the way for development and prosperity.The chief secretary announced that several new government offices, particularly in the education sector, would be operational in Lower Waziristan in the coming days.

“Now that Lower Waziristan has been given the status of a separate district, delays in the relocation of offices will soon be addressed,” he said, adding that district education heads will begin work in Wana shortly.

The chief secretary promised swift action on pending salary issues for healthcare workers. “The salaries of staff at Headquarters Hospital Wana will be released within a day or two, and the cases related to delayed payments in Sholam and Toi Khullah hospitals will be resolved soon,” he confirmed.

He assured that funding for the repair and reconstruction of the critical road linking Tank to Angoor Adda would be released soon. Speaking on the closure of the Angoor Adda gate - a key trade point along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border - the chief secretary revealed that the government had finalized a comprehensive framework to permanently reopen the crossing for commercial activity. “Trade operations will resume soon, bringing economic relief and opportunities to the region,” he stated.