MANSEHRA: The bus and coach owners union of Kohistan has threatened to go on wheel jam strike from April 24 if the government does not end daytime convoy system in the district and ensure 24-hour traffic from Kohistan to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
“The passenger transport is not allowed to move ahead from Kohistan to GB from 4:00pm till next morning and this routine has been causing huge financial and time loss to us,” said Gul Khan, president of the transporters union, while talking to mediapersons here on Friday.
The government had banned travel during night and asked for movement of vehicles in convoys during daytime after 39 passengers were killed in Harban area of Kohistan and Babusar Top area of Mansehra in two incidents in 2012.
He said that because of the convoy system the Rawalpindi-GB travel time had increased to 28 hours from 14 hours and travel through road was stopped at Chakai checkpost in Kohistan all the night after 4:00pm.
“The passenger buses and coaches are allowed travel from 8:00am to 4:00pm, which is perturbing both for the travellers and transporters,” he said.
Mr Khan said that all transport organisations whose passenger vehicles passed through Chakai checkpost would go on a wheel jam strike if the government failed to end the convoy system on KKH in Kohistan.
He said that the GB transporters had already taken up the issue with the deputy commissioner and other relevant authorities, but they said that it was an internal matter of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
He appealed to the KP chief minister and governor to order the deputy commissioner, Kohistan, to end the convoy system in the district.
He said that the KP and GB authorities should enhance security for the passengers in their respective jurisdictions instead of banning travel.
LEOPARD ATTACK: A common leopard attacked and killed goats and sheep in Hungrai village of Kaghan valley on Thursday night.
Mohammad Shafique told reporters in Balakot on Friday that a wildcat jumped into his brother’s cattle pen and killed his two goats and as many sheep.
He demanded of the wildlife department to expel the leopard from the populated area so that lives of people could be protected.
Sources in the wildlife department told this correspondent that there were eight to nine common leopards in Hungrai mountainous forests.
