GHALANAI: Mohmand tribesmen, particularly traders, have welcomed the federal government’s decision to reopen the Gursal trade route and said the step will help boost economic activities in the tribal district.

Talking to Dawn at Main Mandi Bazaar on Friday, Haji Kabeer Khan, a local trader, said the Gursal trade route was reopened after nine years, which would help ensure availability of food items in the local markets thus stabilising their prices.

“The items brought from Afghanistan were purchased by customers coming here from Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Shabqadar and Bajaur in the past,” he said.

Trader Haji Kabeer Khan welcomed the decision of the federal government, and thanked Prime Minster Imran Khan for honouring his commitment made with the people of Mohmand.

Haji Bahram Khan, a tribal elder, said the trade route was closed in 2007-08 during militancy.

He said now peace had been restored in the area and reopening of the border route would help address unemployment issue in the region.

District police officer Abdur Rasheed Khan said all the security arrangements had been completed for reopening of the trade route. He said that a customs team had visited the main Gursal gate near Pak-Afghan border to examine the situation.

He said a hospital, a bank branch, a bus terminal and other facilities would be provided at the Gursal trade point.

MAN WITH FAKE CURRENCY HELD: A man with fake currency was arrested in Khakh Bazaar of Safi tehsil on Monday.

Ghalanai police station SHO Sardar Hussain said the man named Abdullah was arrested during a raid and Rs37,000 fake currency notes were recovered from him.

He said raids were continuing to arrest his other accomplices.

DSP Liaqat Ali Khan told Dawn that SHO Sardar Hussain and ASI Rustam Khan played key role in arrest of the accused.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2019