Prime minister has ordered a survey of Broghil road for its inclusion in the CPEC road.
Under a long-term strategic plan, the road starting from Mastuj and passing through the Yarkhun and Broghil valleys of Chitral will link Pakistan to China through the Khunjerab pass in Gilgit-Baltistan. This will serve as another all-weather alternative route to CPEC.
In a directive, the PM Office asked the secretary planning, development and reforms for the survey of the road and its inclusion in the CPEC’s long-term strategic plans.
It may be recalled that during the prime minister’s visit to Chitral in Sept 2016, MNA Shahzada Iftikhar, among other vital projects, had requested him to include the Broghil road in CPEC. Since then, the MNA has been pursuing the vital project and in his latest communication reminded Nawaz Sharif of his consent to the request.
The MNA persuaded the PM, the planning division and the NHA to start the survey process by presenting the benefits of the Broghil road as an alternative CPEC route. He said that compared to the 806 km Khunjerab-Gilgit-Burhan road, the proposed Broghil-Mastuj-Burhan road would be 600 km, ie over 200 km shorter.
He said Mastuj was already connected with Broghil through a 148 km road which needs to be extended by 30 to 40 km from Broghil lake via two small tunnels to reach the Chiparsun valley near Khunjerab pass at the Pak-China border. At Broghil, the road can also be extended westward to the Wakhan corridor to link Pakistan with the Central Asian countries and even Russia has shown interest in it.
New road project included in PSDP On the request of the MNA, the PM Office also ordered the inclusion of the Shagram-Terich-Lot Ovir truck-able black topped road in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18.
Meanwhile, people of Yarkhun have thanked the MNA for tirelessly working to include the road in CPEC. They said it would usher in a new era of progress and development in the far-off and backward area.
Those who knew the history and geography of the area had been attempting to convince the NHA to consider Broghel- Mastuj-Chitral- Chakdara Road to connect Pakistan with the Central Asian states,long before the CPEC Project was approved. It is the shortest, more safe and attractive to the foreign tourists and would prove all weather serving road. The initiative of the MNA and the PM is highly appreciated.
It is really a big news long awaited. Prince Iftikhar’s efforts in this regard are worth appreciating. As far as I know General(R) J. Nasir had, in the 1990s, visited Baroghil and upper Lotkuh areas to find out the feasibility of connecting Pakistan to Central Asia through these tracts. I am sure records of his findings will be available some where in a relevant section. It is now time to dig out such important documents so that work on such national building projects could be taken in hand without any further delay. Best of luck
If it is included in CPEC long term plan it will take fifteen years to competle. It would be much better if MNA approach PM for a 40 km metalled road from Mastuj to Yarkhoon.
The honorable MNA has been boosting our expectations and hopes on many developmental projects but till now we have not seen any concrete work on his part. Does uploading the scan copies of applications on news site serve any purpose other than attempting to glisten one’s political tactics? The NHA does not work on the basis of directives and orders solely- it has got well established norms and SoPs of its own regarding undertaking any initiatives. The MNA could have done something tangible using his privileged funds on small projects during the span of nearly four years in office which he did not or we have not been able to witness any so far. Now that the mega developmental projects have their own strategic importance and the Planning Commission has been pursuing such projects on its own without paying much heed to the local political actors. Not only the MNA but all the MPAs have also not been able to work as per aspirations of the people which have elected them and this has been the unfortunate history of the political leadership in Chitral. The MNA and the MPAs have not been able to lessen the miseries of the people of Chitral regarding the decent and professional management of the weekly scheduled passage of commuters through the Lawari tunnel let alone any cumbersome uphill task to be undertaken by them. Roads within the district are in dilapidated condition. Large boulders and debris are still lying on roads. The DHQ Hospital Chitral presents gloomy picture. The municipal services have been in shabby conditions. There is no management system in placed for gray water, sewerage and solid waste in the town. The motor vehicle stands (addas) speak of their inefficiency. Since 2015 most areas of the Upper Chitral are in dark due the destruction of the Reshun Powerhouse which has not been repaired by our leadership. The work on the construction of Booni bridge remained at snail’s pace. There are still areas which are facing drinking water shortages. Even the Chitral Town is facing water shortages during the summer season.
All of the four member of the parliament need to earnestly concentrate their efforts for solving these “small” issues on priority basis instead of jumping into the huge strategic businesses of the state like the CPEC. Well, you can do advocacy and develop some synergy for the persuasion of the provincial and federal level high leadership and administration for carrying out such huge tasks, even so the people would not hold you accountable any severely if your efforts did not bear fruit on strategic decisions by the high level state functionaries. You may push forward the district level agendas; like, you may ensure that in government jobs at the district level the locals are preferred, and the masses would be duly obliged.
these small issues are supposed to be tacked at the local govt or admin level. Imran Khan used to claim that he would empower local govt saying mnas, mpas have nothing to do with funds etc. but unfortunately he even discarded the local govt system put in place by a military dictator.
what mna shahzada iftikhar has been doing would bring fruits in the long run and of course by that time someone else would claim credit. at least i can say that he has sincerely been working based on his knowledge as a development expert.
Excellent analysis by Ahmad Javed.Thank you for showing the mirror to those who playing hoax with credulous.