Northern Areas are once again in the grip of sectarian violence after attack on a passenger bus last week. The new wave of violence, coupled with the unprecedented floods and water flow, has made lives miserable in the area.
In the wake of this situation, people from all walks of life are in search of alternative, safer places to live, as they seriously feel that living and travelling in Northern Areas is nothing but putting life at risk.
This correspondent was told by a number of citizens in Gilgit that they are in fear of their lives and properties due unrest in the area. Shops also remain closed due to law and order situation.
Travelling through the 650 km long Karakoram Highway is most dangerous in view of attacks on passenger buses in the jurisdiction of district Diamer and Kohistan for last six months.
The people living in the NAs have no other alternative as PIA flights are often suspended due to weather conditions.
A number of students and other people of the area are still do not dare to travel through KKH at the end of their summer holidays.
These people gather outside PIA office daily to get tickets, but against their hopes, the waiting hours increase every day due to clouds at Nanga Parbat.
It is learnt that most of the resourceful people of the area have shifted their families to other cities like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar for better education and peaceful environment as for last one-and-a-half-year, the educational institutions in Gilgit often remain closed.
A government official said that the Northern Areas, once an attractive place and haven for foreign and domestic tourists, is no more a place to live even for the local people.
He said that influx of tourists has also greatly decreased due to uncertain law and order situation.
Unlike the past, foreign tourists are rarely seen on the roads, while hotel, local garments and embroidery industry and other business activities are also badly affected due to paucity of tourists.
A number of law enforcement agencies, including Army, Gilgit Scouts, Pakistan Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and Police, have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident.
These agencies are checking and searching the travellers from stop to stop, which also causes immense problems for the passengers.