Residents demanded reconstruction of Ghazni-Paktia road

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of southern Ghazni and southeastern Paktia have complained about the poor condition of the main linking road between the two provinces.

However, local officials say reconstruction work on the road is scheduled to begin next year.

The 100-kilometre Ghazni–Paktia road is considered a key route for travel, trade and transit between eastern and central provinces. Residents say its deteriorated condition has created serious difficulties for commuters.

Gul Ahmad, a resident of Deh Yak district in Ghazni, told Pajhwok Afghan News that travel on the Ghazni–Paktia highway normally takes about one and a half hours, but due to the poor condition of the road, the journey now takes four to five hours.

“Patients, elderly people, women and children face severe problems,” he said.

He added that large sections of the road were unpaved and badly damaged, with dust, potholes, and other obstacles.

Sometimes, patients were even at risk of losing their lives due to the poor condition of the road, he explained.

Gul Ahmad said reconstruction of the road would not only improve connectivity between Ghazni and Paktia, but also facilitate transportation of Ghazni’s agricultural produce to Paktia and onward to neighbouring Pakistan.

Similarly, Mohammad Dawood, a resident of Zurmat district in Paktia, told Pajhwok: “The major problem for our people is the Ghazni–Paktia road. It is extremely rough and damaged. We have repeatedly demanded its reconstruction, but no action has been taken so far.”

He added that during winter and the rainy season, water often accumulates on the road and floods occasionally occur, causing loss of life and property for travellers or leaving vehicles stranded.

Hizbullah, a driver on the route, told Pajhwok: “The road has become so bad that vehicles suffer damage every day. Replacement of parts, repairs, and delays have become our daily headache.”

He said hundreds of small and large vehicles travel along the road between Ghazni and Paktia every 24 hours, yet no practical steps have been taken to rehabilitate it.

According to him, the road is used not only by people from Paktia, but also by residents of Khost and Paktika provinces, making it essential for the government to urgently begin reconstruction work.

He added that once rebuilt, the road would ease travel for people in four provinces and ensure transit goods reach Ghulam Khan port in Khost via Paktia on time.

Meanwhile, Ghazni Director of Public Works, Mawlawi Abdul Qadir Bilal, told Pajhwok that the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) has plans to reconstruct the Ghazni–Paktia highway.

He said the ministry had taken steps this year to asphalt the Ghazni–Paktika road, where work was progressing rapidly, and that MoPW intends to practically begin work on the Ghazni–Paktia road in the future as well.

According to him, a survey of a 93-kilometre section of the road has been completed, but practical work has been suspended due to winter.

The Ghazni–Paktia highway, stretching about 100 kilometres from Ghazni city to Gardez, capital of Paktia, and onward via Khost to the Ghulam Khan crossing on the Durand Line, is used daily by thousands of travellers.

kk/sa