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Islamabad-Chitral flight, still
being mismanaged
CHITRAL, 05 Oct 08: Islamabad-Chitral flight
though still operating is being handled in a very callous manner by the PIA
staff at Rawalpindi/Islamabad ticketing offices.
One of the recent passengers on this flight
told Chitral News that he went to the Rawalpindi ticketing office
Northern areas counter at 1600 hrs to get a ticket to Chitral for the next
day. The staff there said the office working has closed at 1500 hrs and he
should buy the ticket at the airport in the morning or contact the domestic
counter in the main hall. When the passenger showed him the timings written
on the door ie from 0900 to 1700 hrs the staff did not not have any
explanation.
At the domestic counter the lady at the desk
promptly responded by saying no confirmed ticket could be given for Chitral
flight (despite the fact that the flight was empty) and when the passenger
asked for an open ticket the lady asked his supervisor who after examining
the passenger from head to toe told the lady "isko dey doe" (give it to
him).
When the passenger told the supervisor
why were they being unfaithful to the PIA by trying to inflict losses on it
and frustrating the passengers, the supervisor started beating about the
bush trying to blame the weather etc and said if in future he needed ticket
he should come to him directly, etc.
It may be
mentioned here that the Islamabad-Chitral flight has not been advertised at
all on any Tv channel or news paper, and the fare has been kept at Rs 3600/-
against Rs 2900/- of Gilgit despite the fact that Gilgit is at a longer
distance which means more flying time than Chitral, and both areas are tax
free. It is time our public representatives wake up and fulfill their
responsibilities. They should promptly raise this issue in both the National
and Provincial Assembliy, before the PIA closes down this flight again.
--(CN report)
Chitralis want
control over own resources
CHITRAL, 30 Sep 08: The local people have
complained that the government had leased out mineral resources to
non-locals on nominal rates.
Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, they said that the Sarhad Development
Authority (SDA) high-ups had done nothing to exploit the mineral resources
which had the potential to provide employment to thousands of people and
make the country prosperous.
They alleged that the minerals in various mountains, meadows, riverbeds and
streams were given on lease by the SDA allegedly not in a transparent way
and the terms of reference of the lease deed was not implemented. They said
that there were scores of leaseholders who had yet to start work on the
sites to dig out the minerals despite the lapse of years.
Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, district president ANP, said that most of the
leaseholders waited for a chance to sublet the lease to another party and
earn hefty amount of money. He said that in some instances, the lease of a
certain site had been further sublet for the third or fourth time.
He said that during the days of the former princely state, Chitral, forests,
pastures and riverbeds beds were generally public properties and every one
had got equal opportunity to utilise them for their benefit. Expressing
regret, he said that the government leased out certain riverbeds beds along
the Chitral river without the consent of the local population.
The ANP apprehended disastrous effects of it on the local people who largely
depended on the natural resources as non-local leaseholder would completely
dislodge them.
Mr Shah said that a large chunk of mountain stretching over a length of more
than ten kilometres had been leased out to a single person in many cases.
The balance of biodiversity would be destroyed if explosion were carried out
in the mountains. --(Zahiruddin)
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