LANDIKOTAL:Transporters and traders on Sunday said that removing all the police checkposts along the Karkhano markets-Torkham highway made transporters and commuters more vulnerable who could easily be targeted while traveling on road.
Speaking to a press conference here in Landikotal press club Torkham Custom Clearance Agents Association Chairman Mirajuddin Shinwari, Khyber Chamber of Commerce deputy president Zahirullah, Transporters Union president Haji Azeemullah and Landikotal bazaar traders Union president Jafar Khan Shinwari said that Capital City Police Officer(CCPO)Ijaz Khan had ordered to remove all the nine police checkposts from Karkhano markets-Torkham higheay. They said looting and snatching incidents on the road would take place after police have locked the checkposts and left the road at the mercy of criminals and outlaws. They said CCPO Ijaz Khan must understand the ground reality and deploy extra police personnel on the road side checkposts to protect the vehicles carrying billions of rupees goods from and to Afghanistan. The traders and transporters rejected the decision and said that they would give strike if police checkposts were not restotred on the Pak-Afghan highway.
Mirajuddin Shinwari said transporters and traders feel fear after police were removed from the roadside checkpoints. He said truck drivers and their helpers asking for their protection while traveling on the road especially at night time.
Mirajuddin said traders have halted their goods transportation amid growing incidents on the Pak-Afghsn highway. He said the number of vehilces carrying import and export goods had been decreased to travel on the Karkhano markets-Torkham road as they did not want to put their life and property in danger.He said around two hundred police personnel deployed at the nine checkposts along the Pak-Afghan highway were ensuring the safety and security for commuters.
He said if any untoward incident happened with transporters and traders police officials especially Ijaz Khan would be responsible for it.
Transporters union president Azeemullah Shinwari said that CCPO decision to closedown all the police checkposts was totally unrealistic as transporters demand protection while traveling on the road. He said removing the police from the road safety had further increased fear among the transporters and passengers while intending to travel on Karkhano-Torkham road.
Azeemullah said traders transport goods of billion of dollars every day from Pakistan and to central Asian states and Afghanistan.
“The century old police checkposts were built in British era to guard the Pak-Afghan highway and ensure safety and security of commuters”, said Azeemulllah. He added that CCPO Ijaz Khan tried to show Britishers wrong in builting the checkpoints and removed it from the busy route leads to Torkham.
Khyber Chamber of commerace vice president Zahirullah said the decision was unrealistic and against the ground realities. He said it was the police prime obligation to provide security to people’s life and properties but here citizens were made more vulnerable to all social evils and criminals.
Zahirullah demanded of the police high ups to restore the checkposts and deploy extra police as the situation in the area was not favourable to travel on the road without security. They also demanded action against the police who were allegedly involved unlawful activities.
It may be added here that in the past few months militants attacks on police have increased that claimed several lives in district Khyber.
