PESHAWAR, Dec 8: Former MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali has expressed concern over the problems being faced by residents of Chitral due to the snowfall and road`s closure and demanded of the government to keep the Lowari tunnel open at least for four hours daily during the winter season.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club the other day, the former lawmaker said that the government was using delaying tactics to complete work on the under-construction Lowari tunnel and as a result people of Chitral had to face massive problems.

He said that there was no timetable for keeping the tunnel open and people had to remain stranded on both sides for many hours to get permission for going ahead.

Maulana Chitrali claimed that the government had failed to pay the outstanding amount to the construction firm and ensurecompletion of the tunnel. He said that the payment of Rs40 million was not a difficult task for the government if it wanted to provide relief to the people of Chitral.

`We take the responsibility in case of any incident inside the tunnel, but it should be kept open at least for four hours daily so that people could reach their destinations, he said.

The former MNA said that if the government was reluctant to resolve the issue then it should arrange an alternative route for the people because they had been facing shortage of food and other essential commodities.

`We are already facing soaring prices of daily use commodities due to weak communication system and if the tunnel is not opened then there will be severe shortage of necessary items and unbearable price hike,` he said.

He warned that if their demand was ignored they would start protest demonstrations against the federal and provincial governments.