CHITRAL, Nov 29: About four PIA flights to Chitral had to be cancelled during the current week due to low number of passengers to and from Chitral.

District sales manager Abdul Haleem told Dawn that on Friday there were only six and three passengers to and from Chitral, respectively, and the operation department had to cancel the flight on economic grounds.

The reason for the low number of passengers is stated to be the unaffordable rate of fares for the people. Single fare is Rs940 which exceeds Rs 1,000, when taxi fare to and from the airports is added to it. On the other hand, the single fare of flying coach between Chitral and Peshawar is only Rs230.

The fares of PIA on the Peshawar-Chitral-Peshawar sector sprang up by 300 per cent during the last five years. It was only Rs290 in early 1997 and there were three flights daily keeping in view the strength of passengers. The last Nawaz government started enhancing the fares on weekly basis, spiralling it to Rs1,000 in October 1999.

Thus, the number of daily flights reduced from three to only one and now it is being apprehended that the daily flight may further reduce to a weekly one. It is pertinent to mention here that the central government is providing subsidy to the Pakistani nationals who pay Rs940 against that of the foreigners who pay Rs2,800.

The unavailability of flights will multiply the miseries of Chitralis after the closure of Lawari Pass.