CHITRAL, Nov 2: The National Highway Authority has yet to decide when to open the Lowari tunnel as the Lowari top road could be closed for vehicular traffic anytime in winter due to snowfall.

The residents of Chitral have expressed concern over the delay in opening the tunnel, while there are reports that the tunnel is unlikely to be opened this year over ongoing work inside it.

Talking to Dawn here on Sunday, the former district nazim Haji Maghfirat Shah criticised the federal government for being indifferent to half a million population of Chitral.

He said if the tunnel wasn`t opened, it would create acute shortage of daily use commodities in the district and patient s would suffer.

MPA from Chitral Ghulam Mohammad said life in Chitral would come to a standstill if the Lowari tunnel was not opened during winter season.

He said PIA flights to Chitral had also been reduced from 21 a week to only one a week.-Correspondent