Report S.N. Peerzada
BOONI, July 25: Even though Chitral remained in the limelight, especially during the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, PTI chief Imran Khan and other high ranking government officials, the flood-affected people remain helpless even after over 10 days.
Photo courtesy: Dr Tariqullah’s facebook account[/caption]
The whole upper Chitral is cut off from rest of the district and there is an acute crisis of essential commodities here. As the area has also run out of fuel, life has come to a standstill. Essential food items are not available and as a result the Booni bazaar is closed and the situation in other small towns and villages is deteriorating.
People of upper Chitral complain that the benefits of the high-profile visits of the prime minister and the KP chief minister could not reach the flood-affected people. They severely criticized MPA Sardar Hussain for his flattery before the prime minister and the PTI chief Imran Khan and KP chief minister Pervez Khattak. During
their visit, the MPA used all tactics to please them by praising the government departments and presenting such a situation as if there were no issues at all and everything was ideal in the whole district. The lawmaker totally failed to present the case of Chitral and ask the prime minister or the chief minister to order necessary steps to tackle the crisis situation. He told the VVIPs that it was an honour for the people of Chitral that they visited them, adding: “We do not need anything, your visit is enough.”
This was one of the reasons that even 10 days after the floods, the main road linking upper Chitral with the rest of the world still remained closed. Though work on the Chitral-Mastuj road was started a few days ago, it continued at a snail’s pace and would take years to finsih at this pace. As a result, over three lac people of the area are now facing a severe crisis of food items, medicines and fuel.
On the other hand, the MPA is still busy in accommodating his near and dear ones and friends in the emergency helicopter service of the army while poor people are facing trouble and are left with no option but to cross a mountain over the blocked road at Kuragh on foot. They have to spend about four hours to cross the mountain to reach the other sideof the road in Reshun side.
As the MPA praised all the local departments in front of the prime minister and the chief minister, after their departure from here, all officials of the local administration have disappeared from their offices and not available to help the people in distress.
With more floods hitting Mulkhow valley and in a number of streams such as Barenis, Reshun etc, the Booni-Chitral road is now blocked at more than three points and there is the risk of a severe crisis in the whole upper Chitral.