10-day closure of Lowari tunnel sought by political parties
- Closure of Lowari tunnel for 10 days was recommended by political parties after quarantine centres in Lower Chitral ran out of space.
- Currently, 1,615 people are in 82 quarantine centres in Drosh and Chitral town.
CHITRAL: Representatives of different political parties have demanded closure of Lowari tunnel for 10 days so that 1,600 people currently on quarantine in Lower Chitral could be sent home to make room for more returnees.
The meeting was attended by MPA Molana Hidayatur Rehman, chief minister’s special assistant Wazirzada, Jamaat-e-Islami Chitral chief Molana Jamshed Ahmed, PTI Lower Chitral president Sajjad Ahmed, ANP president Eidul Hussain, PPP’s Muhammad Hakim Advocate, PML-N’s Sifat Zarin, Muhammad Kausar Advocate and traders’ representative Shabir Ahmed.
The meeting discussed issues related to the coronavirus outbreak and said all quarantine centres in Chitral were full to their capacity.
Therefore, it is imperative to close the Lowari tunnel for 10 days so that most of the people on quarantine would complete their two weeks on quarantine and ho home vacating spaces for others returning from different cities.
The meeting decided that all bus terminals in Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Dir would be notified about the 10-day closure of Lowari tunnel asking them not to send any passengers to Chitral to avoid inconvenience to the travellers.
The participants said setting up of quarantine centres in villages and at the union council level in Upper Chitral would be discussed later.
It was also decided that vehicles bringing vegetables and poultry should be monitored and their movements regulated.
After closure of the tunnel, restrictions woukd be eased out for small traders and other businesses in Chitral to help them cope with the crisis they were facing due to the lockdown.
It may be noted that the Lowari tunnel was closed by the district administration on March 23 but on the pressure of the MNA and MPA Chitral the Chitralis returning home were allowed entry.
Agree with Mr. Nadir Khan.
“these are kind of people who only know to cut the head instead of curing the headache”, laughing hard on this sentence.
These so called chitrali leaders neither have any vision nor anyone will act on their demand. these are kind of people who only know to cut the head instead of curing the headache. Tell me where in the country or anywhere in the world people are stopped from coming to their homes. Bcoz of stupid actions of these people and the administration corona cases are rising in Chitral.
Pity for the immature and childish approach of these proclaimed leaders. This type of desperate attitude has spread disease there. If you have room of 1600 hundred and you close and re-open tunnel after 10 days. Then you will start counting up to 1600 selected relatives of each leader by merit at Lawari as that will have collected a mob of thousands there. It will surge the disease if you are after that.
On this type of act sometimes I appreciate the old state system of Chitral where the most experienced ones were consulted for council and then other people who would stand in the back were asked if there was any other point or wiser agenda with them.
If you have no room for them. Have their data, warn neighbors issue strict orders and quarantine them at homes taking assurance of their elders. All can not be dealt as patients.