The recent heavy snowfall in the region has cut off the entire upper Swat from the rest of the country.
BAHRAIN, SWAT: Once again the neglected people of Swat Kohistan have been cut off from rest of Pakistan. The recent heavy snowfall in the region, which lasted for over three days, has cut off the entire upper Swat from the rest of the country. All link roads have been blocked by many feet of snow and there are severe food shortages and an unending power blackout in the area. During the three-day period, over seven feet of snow fell in the region, which has Kalam as its biggest town.
At the very least, the main road that leads to Kalam and which links the town with the rest of Pakistan should be immediately cleared of snow by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government. At present, those needing medical treatment and who live in Kalam end up carrying their relatives who are ill and cannot walk on their shoulders, amid heavy snow.
It is also requested that the media, especially the television channels, highlight the plight of those who live in upper Swat, especially what they have to go through in the winter.
Mujahid Torwali
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2013.
