Govt notification ignored, tunnel not opened for stranded passengers

Photos: Shah Nawaz Sana Razakhel[/caption] Due to the closure of the Lowari Pass after snowfall, hundreds of passengers remained stuck for hours as they were not allowed to use the tunnel on Thursday too. A resident of Drosh going home from Peshawar told ChitralToday on phone at 8:10pm on Friday that over 100 vehicles were stranded on the Dir side of the tunnel. He said he and about 17 other passengers in a hiace van reached at the Dir side of the tunnel at 3pm but were not allowed to cross the tunnel. When the passengers told the security staff that the government had announced to open the tunnel on every Tuesday and Friday after the closure of the Lowari Pass, the security officials said this schedule would be applicable from December. The passenger said “VIP” vehicles and those having connections with the officials of the tunnel were crossing the tunnel without any hurdle but passengers including women and children were being humiliated and made to wait under the open sky in sub-zero temperature. He said the security officials had kept the passengers on wait for orders from their higher authorities to open the tunnel. It is strange that the government has not put in place a mechanism to allow the passengers to use the tunnel when the Lowari Pass route closes anytime due to snowfall. ]]>