Queued up: Commuters face prolonged checks at Swat’s entry points

Passengers of public transport spend hours in lines while VIPs, govt officials whiz by.



MINGORA:


Security checks at Swat’s entry points have irked residents and people travelling between districts as passengers have to wait in long queues at check posts while VIPs and governments officials just breeze through.


Several check posts were established across the valley by security forces in 2007 when militants challenged the writ of the government under the pretext of imposing Sharia law. Although the number of check posts has decreased over the past few years, the lengthy checking process itself remains a hassle for travellers.

Every passenger has to go through a body search and their national identity card is checked followed by a short question-answer session. This inconveniences people who travel to their offices in Mingora from outside of Swat as it delays their commute for hours. Students and locals are equally affected.

“I had to wait in line for hours at Qambar check post because of strict checking by the security forces. It took me four hours to reach Mingora from Thana; usually it is an hour-long commute,” said Zareef Khan, who travels between Mingora and Thana every day for work.



VIP coming through

The queues are even longer at Dargai check post situated on GT Road because traffic to Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Malakand, Buner, and Shangla districts also passes through the post.

“Thousands of vehicles travel between the six districts of Malakand Division and all them have to go through a security check at Dargai, thus slowing down the flow of traffic for hours,” said Adnan Khan, a university student.

Traffic is divided into three lanes at Dargai, one for VIPs and government officials, one for private cars and one for public transport vehicles. The passengers of public transport complain of discrimination, saying VIPs and senior government officials are allowed to pass through Dargai without the tedious checking.

Questioning effectiveness

Elected representatives and parliamentarians have also condemned the prolonged checks at the check posts and the behaviour of the on-duty staff.

While talking to the media in July, JUI-F senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan had criticised the exercise saying law-enforcement agencies are disgracing innocent people. “Not a single militant has been arrested at any check post in Malakand since they were established,” he said. Similarly, social activists have also urged the security forces to remove extra check posts which are a hassle for travellers.

“Militants never use the common routes to enter Swat; they know of alternate passages. No target killers or militants have ever been arrested from the posts,” said Ahmad Shah, the spokesperson of the Swat Qaumi Jirga.

Instead of holding up traffic, security forces should initiate intelligence-based, targeted operations against militants. They can also increase the staff strength at check posts to make the exercise more swift and efficient, added Shah.

When contacted, Swat Inter-Services Public Relations Spokesman Colonel Aqeel Malik said the checking procedure at the posts has been improved in the wake of the recent target killings of several village defence committee members. He added modern technology is being used to ensure the public’s security.

Since 2009, 21 village defence committee members and 276 police officers have been killed in targeted attacks in Swat. The past few weeks saw an immense surge in such attacks. On September 16, three committee members were shot dead in various areas of Kabal tehsil, while a fourth was shot dead on October 4. None of the target killers have been arrested so far.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2014.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ