SRINAGAR Kashmir Economic Alliance Chairperson (KEA) Muhammad Yaseen Khan on Tuesday demanded reopening Kargil-Skardu road. Historically an all-weather route, the 170-kilometre road links Kargil and Skarducapital city of Gilgit-Baltistan and is the shortest distance from Kargil to any other major city.
Its time to reopen the road and revive historical, political, cultural and economical connect between the two regions, Mohammad Yaseen Khan told Kashmir Observer.
The original road continued on to Kargil from Kharmang parallel to the Shingo River but has been closed down since 1949.
Position of Kargil due to blockade of historical routes is all known to us and the people have been subjected to immense hardships. Its time that historical connect is revived, Yasin said, underlining that unlike other routes from Kargil, the thoroughfare remains open all-round the year.
Apart from other benefits including the revival of trade and cultural relations, the opening of this route would also boost the tourism industry in the Kargil region. The potential for adventure tourism in the entire region is immense and its bound to provide employment to a lot of people, Yasin said, adding, India and Pakistan have opened Kartarpur-Dera Baba Nanak Sahab corridor in Punjab and let Kargil-Skardu road follow. People of the region cannot be perpetually denied what they are being denied.
Prior to partition, the regions of Kargil, Leh and Skardu constituted a single district called the Ladakh Wazarat. An all-weather road from Skardu to Kargil was part of the ancient Silk Route. The 1949 ceasefire resulted in a split of Ladakh Wazarat into Ladakh and Baltistan. Many families still trace their immediate ancestors on the other side of the border.
After New Delhi and Islamabad agreed to Kartarpur-Dera Baba Nanak Sahab corridor, the clamour has grown in the state to open the Kargil-Skardu road. Senior Congress leader and former legislator Kargil, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie demanded the opening of the route which according to him will not only connect divided families but also restore economic activity in the region which remains cut off for the most part of the year.
Recalling long pending demand of his people, Karbalaie had urged the governments in Delhi and Islamabad to open Kargil-Skardu road on priority.
Seeking immediate steps towards the opening of thousand-years-old historic route, Karbalaie said, There are more than 5,000 divided families in Kargil and Skardu who have not met for last seven decades. Kargil leader said people of his region are deprived of a chance to meet on the pattern of International borders and Line of Control. “Depriving people of a right to meet each other gives an impression that both the countries do not trust the people of the dived region. Now time has come that the government must raise this issue with its counterpart on the other side to open this route on humanitarian grounds”, Karbalaie said.
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