Political parties reject NHA decision, warn of agitation
CHITRAL, Dec 2: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Chitral has strongly rejected the decision of the NHA regarding the opening of the Lowari Tunnel for only two days in two weeks during the winter season when Lowari Top road gets blocked.
In a press release, the JUI Chitral criticized the NHA for discomforting the people and said the decision was not acceptable to the people of Chitral and the JUI would launch a massive protest across the district till the decision was reversed. As the tunnel was being constructed for the people of Chitral, therefore, in these harsh days the people must have access to it and we will not tolerate the humiliation of our people on both the sides of the tunnel, the JUI press release said.
It demanded opening of the Lowari Tunnel for general public at least three days a week. The current decision is provocative and aimed to irritate the peaceful people of Chitral whom do not have access to land route to travel inside their own country, added the JUI.
Meanwhile, in a meeting in Chitral on Monday, heads of district chapters of different political parties and civil society organizations said the decision of the federal government had sent shock waves across the district.
In a unanimously passed resolution, it was demanded of the government to shift the widening work of the tunnel to construction of the long span bridges and approach roads on either sides of the tunnel during the three months of the winter season.
The meeting warned that the people of Chitral will stage a sit-in in Islamabad till the acceptance of their demand which was a matter of ‘life and death’ for them.
The speakers included lady MPA of PTI, Bibi Fozia, former district nazim Maghfirat Shah, Maulana Sher Aziz, Fazle Rahim advocate, Abdul Wali Khan advocate, Maulana Abdul Shakoor, Habib Hussain Mughal and others.]]>
Work on Lowari Tunnel started in the year 2005 with the projected completion year 2011. During the previous PPP government, then PM Gilani diverted Lowari Tunnel funds to Multan and work on the project stopped for the whole period. the new government has allocated some amounts of funds for the project and the Korean company re-started work on the project and probably it will be completed in the near future. During winter season the tunnel is the only way through which Chitrali people get access to rest of the country, as Lowari Pass remains close due to snowfall for about six months. In the last year, SMABU and NHA agreed to open the tunnel for the traffic three days on a weekly basis which resulted in serious problems for the passer by and numbers of patients and elderly people died on the way waiting for traffic to pass the tunnel.
This year the Korean Company SAMBU and NHA further aggravated the situation by developing a mechanism of allowing traffic to use Tunnel two days on two week basis which will result serious inconvenience for the people in Chitral. If this mechanism implemented it will seriously impact life of people in Chitral and even supply of edibles items to the valley will also be halted which will put the whole population in starvation.
People of Chitral are fed up with the attitude of NHA and Korean Company SAMBU because they are trying to put the people into trouble by their ill planning and strategy. District Administration Chitral and political leaders also failed to communicate genuine problem of Chitrali people at Provincial and Federal level. If newly strategy of NHA and SMBU has been implemented during closure of Lawari Pass road then entire population of Chitral will be in miserable condition.
After being hopeless from district Administration and political leaders of Chitral, people of Chitral directly appeal to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Pervez Khatak to directly intervene in the matter and develop such strategy which will solve the problems of Chitralis during current winter season. If work on the tunnel is diverted to other sides, like bridges and roads construction or 5 hours opening of the tunnel is allowed for traffic on daily basis it will solve the problems up to some extent.