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PIA Passengers Demands basic Facilities at Chitral Airport

By Zahiruddin

CHITRAL: The passengers traveling by PIA flights from Chitral airport have complained that civil aviation authority (CAA) is showing total indifference to the myriads of problems faced by them despite the fact that they pay tax for the facilities. Talking to chitraltimes.com here on Sunday, they said that in this cold and chilly season, there are only two kerosene heaters for fifty passengers in the waiting lounge of the airport. They said that the PIA levies 120 rupees on each passenger ticket as airport tax which is paid to CAA for various facilities at the airport. They added that in the absence of heating facility, the children, women and aged persons are seen shivering with cold in the waiting lounge. Enumerating the other problems, the passengers said that no soap, toilet paper and towel is available in the toilets of the airport which are supposed to be provided there by CAA. They also expressed their dissatisfaction over the state of cleanliness in the bath rooms and toilets of the airport. They also described the shortage of trolleys in the airport specially in the arrival lounge and said that for fifty passengers there are only seven trolleys. The passengers have to carry their luggage on their backs to the taxi stand which is a cruel joke with them. They said that there is no telephone number for flight inquiry and one has no option but to travel to the airport to get information about the operation of flights. They added that the arriving passengers have to wait for about an hour to collect their luggage as no conveyer belts have been provided in the airport.

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Kalasha People demands to remove fallen 7 matured trees from forest

By Zahiruddin

CHITRAL: The residents of the Kalash valley of Rumbur have demanded of the government to go ahead with the marking of the local forest to remove the matured and fallen trees from the forest which pose potential threat to the standing trees. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the elites of the area Ubaidullah, Katar Sing, Bashgali Bap, Saifullah Jan and others said that the forest department carries out the marking of the forest with the consultation of joint forest management committee (JFMC) of the area and there is no danger to the forest. Condemning the allegations of certain elements from the valley in the national press, they said that the JFMC of the valley was representing hundred percent population of the valley. The JFMC was constituted by the divisional forest officer (DFO) who had stayed for two days in the valley to ascertain the views of the people of the valley. They refuted the allegation that the committee was fake but they reiterated that it was representing them. They said that if the fallen trees due to the wind fall are not removed from forest, then such trees catch fire in the summer seasons and affect the standing and growing trees as well. They said that the members of the JFMC have unflinching confidence on its president Muhammad Yaqoob Khan who is a resident of the valley.