Green signal: Swat’s Gul Kada Road reopens after seven years

Security forces had cordoned the route off after establishing headquarters along it.

MINGORA: Gul Kada Road of Swat was reopened for traffic after seven years on Monday, much to the relief of locals.

The route has been off limits since 2007 after security forces established military headquarters at Circuit House. As a result, incoming traffic was diverted to Sharifabad and Landay Kas Road, causing major commuting problems for residents of Gul Kada I, II and III. Even pedestrians were not permitted to pass and there have been several incidents of protests against the obstruction.

Following the operation against militants in the valley seven years ago, operations headquarters were established along the route. Despite the completion of the operation and reopening of several such routes, Gul Kada remained closed since 2007.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, locals said they had grown tired of taking alternative routes that were too narrow and inconvenient due to the heavy flow of traffic. They welcomed the decision and said the reopening would bring their long-standing miseries to an end.



“It was very difficult for us since the road is the only major link to our area,” said Arshad Hussain, a resident of Gul Kada II. “The alternative streets are so narrow that only unidirectional traffic can pass through them,” added Fazal Ghafoor, a resident of Gul Kada I.

The suburb is home to several private schools where thousands of children from across Swat come every day. “In the morning, hundreds of school vans come and go,” said Shahid Zaman, a university student from the area, adding that there are traffic jams every day.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2014.