Shadow Correspondent
Rajouri, May 16:
Apni Party, Vice President, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali today said that the Govt. has taken the decision to open Mughal Road half-heartedly.
In his statement to the press, Zulfikar Ali said that the Mughal road should be opened fully for the movement of vehicular traffic from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We welcome the decision of the Govt and appreciate it. However, the decision seems to have been taken half-heartedly without considering the difficulties of the people faced in Pir Panjal because of the closing of the highway and opening it with certain conditions,” said Zulfikar Ali.
He said that most of the patients from Pripanjal prefer treatment at Srinagar’s Hospitals. “They are not considered in the decision,” the Former Minister said.
He, however, said that the movement of nomads towards parts of Kashmir is allowed and it is an encouraging step by the Govt. since the nomads were worried about their seasonal movement towards the upper reaches of Kashmir and Ladakh. Similarly, trucks loaded with fruits have also been allowed.
“It was unfortunate that the patients and other public were not allowed to move on the Mughal Road. The Govt should have opened it for the general public so that the needy can travel,” Ch. Zulfikar Ali, the Former Minister and Vice President of Apni Party said.
He expressed his concern over the failure of the authorities managing Mughal Road that they were not able to make it operational throughout the year.
“The Mughal Road should be made an all weather road. It is an important road to Kashmir via Poonch District’s Bafliaz area,” he added.
The Former Minister Ch. Zulfikar Ali said that the right to movements is a fundamental right and it cannot be denied to the people of Pir Panjal Region, when all the means of communication roads, air and rail connecting interstate, inter-division, inter-district are opened, there is no reason to keep this road closed causing inconvenience to the commuters.
The Former Minister said “Moreover, the Government must fix the responsibility of the officers who failed to ensure the clearance of the road till now, when all other such roads viz Srinagar, Ladakh, Gurez, Sinthan top are already opened.
