Bashir Hussain Azad
CHITRAL: Leaders of major political parties in Chitral have announced a rare show of unity to ensure the timely completion and quality of several critical road projects, including the Shandur Road, Garam Chashma Road, Lowari Tunnel approach road and Kalash Valleys Road.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Friday, PPP Lower Chitral president Engineer Fazal Rabbi Jan said all local parties had set aside differences to work together for the region’s development and protect its interests.
The press conference was attended by senior political figures such as PPP leader Saleem Khan, Abdul Wali Khan Advocate (PML-N), Wajihuddin (Jamaat-e-Islami), Maulana Abdul Shakoor (JUI-F) and Alhaj Eidul Hussain (ANP).
Engineer Jan credited this political consensus for the recent visit to Chitral by Prime Minister’s Inspection Team (PMIT) chairman retired Brigadier Khalid Ranjha, describing it as the result of their joint lobbying. He thanked the federal government for restarting stalled projects and urged Ranjha to ensure the Shandur Road reaches Booni town by September, warning that work had slowed again following the PMIT visit.
He also announced the formation of a joint monitoring committee representing all political parties which will conduct daily inspections of road projects, particularly the Shandur Road, to ensure both quality and pace of work are maintained.
Asked about the absence of PTI from this united platform, Jan said they had been invited but their district leadership chose not to participate. He added that while they hoped MNA Abdul Latif (PTI) would complete his term, they were preparing to field a consensus candidate if a by-election became necessary following his court conviction.
He also pointed to internal rifts in PTI, noting that Mastuj tehsil chairman Sardar Hakeem planned to lead a protest in Booni over the town’s lack of drinking water even though PTI held power from the village level to the National Assembly seat.
Saleem Khan used the occasion to sharply criticize the PTI-led provincial government for ignoring Chitral in the current Annual Development Programme (ADP), claiming that not a single new project had been approved for the two districts.
Maulana Abdul Shakoor urged the district administration to remain on high alert in anticipation of possible flooding and to ensure timely relief for any affected communities.
Wajihuddin welcomed the emerging unity among Chitral’s political leadership on local issues and recalled Jamaat-e-Islami’s own district-wide campaign to demand better roads. He described Brigadier Ranjha’s visit as a positive outcome of this cooperation.
Abdul Wali Khan Advocate thanked the prime minister for resuming work on projects originally launched during Nawaz Sharif’s government. He said progress reports on the Shandur Road would be shared with the PMIT every three days.
Alhaj Eidul Hussain called the united political platform a positive sign for the region’s future development.
Other local leaders present at the event included Qari Jamal Abdul Nasir, Sharif Hussain, Maulana Jamshed Ahmed, Mohammad Kausar Advocate, Niaz A. Niazi Advocate, Qazi Faisal, Alhaj Abdul Samad, and others.