MINGORA: The commuters and tourists on Thursday faced hardships to reach their destinations in Swat after re-establishment of the roadside checkposts at various points in the district.

The re-establishment of the checkposts in seven tehsils of Swat district, including Kabal, Matta, Khwazakhela, Charbagh, Bahrain, Barikot and Babuzai led to long queues of stranded vehicles and caused hardships to the people.

It appears the step was taken due to security concerns after a spate of recent incidents in Swat in which pro-government peace committee members and a policeman were killed by suspected militants.

The presence of too many checkposts also affected the tourists as they had to cover the distance that normally takes 30 minutes in five hours. Most of the tourists now prefer to return from Mingora and go to other tourist spots outside Swat due to the presence of large number of security checkposts in the district. The tourists and local people requested the Corps Commander Peshawar to take note of the issue and reduce the number of the roadside checkposts to ensure smooth flow of traffic.