Govt decides to open Ghulam Khan border route

Transit trade with Afghanistan

MIRANSHAH: The government has decided to launch transit trade with Afghanistan via the Ghulam Khan border after the restoration of peace in North Waziristan as a result of the successful military operation Zarb-e-Azb, an official said on Tuesday.

Political Agent of North Waziristan Kamran Afridi told a group of journalists that the route would be opened within a few days as all the arrangements for this purpose had been made.He said the Ghulam Khan route linking North Waziristan with Khost was closed for trade with Afghanistan, but it would be reopened as part of the ongoing efforts for the rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The political agent said the economic condition of the people cannot be revived by constructing buildings.“We will not wait for the construction of terminals at the Ghulam Khan village and would initially open trade on a small scale,” he said. He added that initially 10 trucks a day would pass through the route.

“The number of trucks crossing the border at Ghulam Khan would increase with the passage of time,” he added.Kamran Afridi said the trucks would be loaded and unloaded at the mutually decided zero point at Ghulam Khan checkpost.

He said officials of the political administration, army and Customs department would be deployed and would issue permits for passage from Bannu to the Ghulam Khan checkposts. The political agent reminded that 60 percent population of North Waziristan was dependent on trade and only three percent on agriculture.

He said the re-opening of trade with Afghanistan would generate jobs for people in North Waziristan and promote industries. The official said the irrigation system had been restored and seeds and fertilizers distributed among the farmers to cultivate their land.

About the delay in conducting survey of damaged houses as the authorities didn’t allow the people to reconstruct their houses and cultivate land, the political agent said the administration in North Waziristan had not disallowed anyone from constructing their houses and cultivating land.

He said those who had the resources had started constructing their homes, but others who didn’t have money were waiting for the completion of the survey.He said the people knew they would not get compensation if the survey was not conducted.

He said a survey team comprising of officials of North Waziristan’s political administration, Pakistan Army and other departments had started examining the damaged houses and properties.

The political agent said that Rs400,000 compensation for a ,.damaged house and Rs160,000 for a partially damaged house were not sufficient.He didn’t agree with the observation that the survey team couldn’t reach many affected areas.