PML-N blames PPP for delaying work on Lowari Tunnel

PESHAWAR, Feb 23: The Pakistna Muslim League (PML-N) has blamed the government for delay in the completion of the Lowari Tunnel and said the credit went to former President Pervez Musharraf as 70 per cent of work on the project had completed in his government. [caption id="attachment_8005" align="alignleft" width="221"] Photo by Alhaj Muhammad Khan[/caption] This was stated by PML-N central Senior Vice President and former federal minister Eng Amir Muqam while speaking at a seminar Issues of Chitral and Role of Media ‘at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday. “I had played the main role in expediting the work on the project when I was federal minister but the present government failed to complete it during its five-year tenure,” the former federal minister said and added that he would complete it if his party came into powers. He said that PML-N would change destiny of the people of Chitral by initiating various uplift schemes in addition to completion of the tunnel to link central Asian states via the Chitral district. Other people who spoke on the occasion include, Pakistan Tehrek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chitral president Abdul Lateef, Mohammad Shareef Shakeib, Peshawar Press Club Vice President Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Sartaj Ahmed Khan, Shazada Sirajuddin, Saddiq Ameen, Mohammad Kosar and Dr Habibur Rahman. Mr Muqam recalled that the project of Lowari Tunnel had been opposed by National High Authority (NHA) but he managed to get allocated funds for it and started work on it. He assured the Chitralis to resolve all the issues of the district and also Wah Khan Border would also be connected with Tajikistan in order to enhance trade with the central Asian states to improve living standard of the people of our country. Earlier, Abd-ul-Lateef criticized the incumbent government for neglecting the landlocked district of the province, saying that both the provincial and federal governments had adopted step motherly treatment with the people. Sadiq Ameen, and Dr Habib alleged that international forces in Afghanistan did not want the Wah Khan Border link road to Tajikistan via Chital, they, therefore, appealed the government to construct the road to the country so that trade could be developed through the district. Besides, they said there was potential of 4000 megawatt hydle power generation in Chitral but the government had failed to arrange new power generation plants and that was why the people were forced to purchase electricity on high rates.  ]]>