CHITRAL, Nov 8: The people of Chitral have demanded of the government to reach a standby agreement with the Korean company so the Lowari tunnel could be opened to traffic as snow has already closed the Lowari top for vehicular movement.
Talking to Dawn here on Friday, MPA from upper Chitral Haji Ghulam Mohammad said due to closure of Lowari Pass thousands of passengers were stranded on both sides of the tunnel.
`The government should reach an understanding with the Korean company to allow passage of vehicles through the tunnel,` he said, adding without an agreement the Korean company won`t open the tunnel to traffic as it would cause delay in work.Former district nazim Maghfirat Shah said the government should make an agreement with the construction company that the tunnel would remain opened for public for at least three hours a day till the time the Lowari Pass opened to traffic.
PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) on Friday asked the government for opening of the Lowari tunnel, as the closure of the Lowari top due to snow had caused immense hardships for the people of Chitral.
In a statement issued here, QWP chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said that the tunnel had been closed for the last several days, adding to the woes of the people of Chitral. He said the closure of the tunnel would create shortage of food items in the scenic valley.
Mr Sherpao said the government should complete work on the Lowari tunnel project at the earliest to reduce agonies of the local population.
The QWP chief said that completion of the Lowari tunnel project would cause development of the district, bringing it on a par with rest of the country. `Chitrali people deserve to be given proper attention as they have always faced serious communication problems,` he said.
Mr Sherpao said that his party would continue to raise voice for removal of sense of deprivation among the Pakhtuns and other ethnic groups living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said it was time that the provincial and federal governments gave proper attention to development of Chitral.Dawn Report
