PESHAWAR, Feb 9: The closure of the Peshawar-Kunar-Chitral land route and frequent cancellation of the PIA service to Chitral valley have left over 600 Chitralis stranded here.

The government has started C-130 service, being alternative, to shuttle the passengers between Chitral and Peshawar, but it has also not been of much help as the flights are subjected to weather condition.

The seasonal closure of the Lawari Pass, which is the only land link between Chitral and rest of the country, causes innumerable hardships to the residents. The residents are cut off almost for six months, from Dec to May, with other parts of the country.

Those who have dashed to Peshawar from abroad are also running from pillar to post to secure a seat in the PIA flights. “We have a stop-over here, but we are not getting any seat. The weather is also a bane for us,” said Mr Azizur Rehman from Chitral.

Mr Abdul Wadood Beg, a newsmen, said he carried a PIA ticket with him, but he didn’t know whether he would be able to get a seat on a flight or not. “We are a sort of seasonal nationals of Pakistan,” he said in a light vein.

Two months back, District Nazim Shahzada Mohiuddin got managed a land route Peshawar-Kunar-Chitral but it was closed after the humiliation of passengers at the hands of Afghans in Asadabad, capital of Kunar, an eastern Afghan province. The Afghan authorities, who agreed to provide a safe passage to the Chitral travellers from Afghan territory, sent all the 10 vehicles back to Peshawar.

After the persuasion by the district Nazim, the federal government arranged with the Kabul authorities a route for the passengers via Kunar. The federal government had asked the provincial home and tribal affairs department and Frontier Corps to arrange safe passage for passengers travelling through Mohmand and Bajaur.

The district Nazim had also issued permits to the local traders to import commodities of daily use from Kunar, but the militia on the border denied them to do any transaction. “Since the Lawari Pass is closed many people are short of the commodities of daily use, what should they do?” Mr Wadood Beg.

“We are short of flour, ghee, sugar, tea, vegetables and other commodities. We cannot ferry our patients to Peshawar hospitals. A jeepload of people who ventured via Gujjar post last week, died under the snow,” Mr Zulfiqar Ali Shah said.

MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali has been opposed to travelling through Afghanistan. He was of the view that it was not feasible for them to venture through Afghanistan, marred with factional feuds.

“We will oust all Afghan refugees from Chitral. If our people are humiliated and looted in Asadabad, how could Afghans expect any hospitality from Chitralis?” Mr Shah asked.

In 1996, the second PPP government, had arranged a helicopter service for Chitralis from Dir to Chitral. The then government was convinced that the service would continue till the completion of the Lawari tunnel. But, it was later suspended.

The construction of the Lawari tunnel was planned in 1970, but work on the project, costing Rs500 million, was started in 1975.