CHITRAL: The communication and works department on Monday opened the Shandur Pass to vehicular traffic after clearing snow from the area situated at an elevation of 10,230 feet.

C&W executive engineer Maqbul-i-Azam told Dawn that heavy vehicles would be able to cross the pass by the next week. He said due to heavy snowfall and avalanches, the road had become difficult to be cleared of snow.

He said the roads to valleys of Garam Chashma, Karim Abad and Yarkhoon and Torkhow in Upper Chitral had also been reopened.

COLLEGE FOR GARAM CHASHMA: Members of the district council from Lot Koh valley have thanked Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for approving a boys degree college in Garam Chashma and a road in mountainous Arkari area.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Mohammad Hussain and Mohammad Yaqub said the two projects had been the longstanding demand of the people of the remote and marginalised area of Chitral.

They said hundreds of people had perished in accidents while travelling on a dirt Arkari road passing through mountainous terrains, but the approval of a proper road would help boost tourism and agriculture sectors.

They also appreciated a notification appointing MPA Wazir Zada as the chairman of district development advisory committee and said he had proved himself as true representative of not only Kalash minorities but also whole of Chitrali.

They demanded of the prime minister to open the Shah Saleem (Gobor) border for resuming trade with northern Afghanistan.

PROTEST: The Class-IV employees of different government departments took out a rally from the Secretariat Road to the Chitral Press Club on Monday, demanding 100 percent increase in salaries and time-scale promotion.

Addressing the protesters, president of Class-IV association Mohammad Qasim Khan criticised the government for constantly ignoring their demands.

He demanded health professional allowance, induction of qualified Class-IV employees as teachers in education department and increase in medical, conveyance and house rent allowances in all departments.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2019