Suspension of work on Indus Highway causing accidents in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Suspension of construction work on a seven-kilometre patch of the busiest Indus Highway has caused a sharp rise in road accidents besides affecting the smooth flow of traffic and adversely affecting the lives of people on both sides of the road.

In one such accident on Monday, one Sher Alam, the loan bread-winner of his large family, succumbed to his injuries after being hit by a car. The 40-year-old Sher Alam was a daily-wager. He was the resident of Haji Mohammad Noor Killey on the main road. Alam was crossing the road when a car hit him. He was rushed to the Combined Military Hospital, Kohat, but he could not survive the fatal injuries. He was the eldest among his three brothers, whose father had died at a very early age. His widowed elderly mother suffered every hardship to look after her children. “Now when his own wards are minors, he suffered the accident. This is really tragic for the poor family,” said Gul Zaman, a neighbour of the deceased.

People of the area complained that the road has made life miserable for the people. The Indus Highway is the main highway that connects the provincial metropolis with the southern districts of the province and other cities of the country till Karachi and being such a long route, it is one of the busiest routes of Pakistan. It is a dual carriageway. But one side of the highway has been opened for reconstruction right from Badaber till Matani area and the traffic has been diverted to the other side, which has not only created inconvenience in the smooth flow of heavy traffic but also caused sharp rise in the accidents. “I am a permanent dweller of this area. Honestly speaking, three to four accidents take place every day here. In some accidents, precious lives are lost. But no-one cares,” said Sher Wali, another resident of the area. The reconstruction work on the road has been suspended for the last three months.