10 April 2005	Sunday	30 Safar 1426

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PESHAWAR, April 9: The residents of district Dir (Upper) have threatened the federal government with violent protest if it did not direct the National Highway Authority (NHA) to start work on the Timergara-Dir highway immediately.

A group of district nazim, naib nazims, tehsil nazims along with scores of residents of district Dir of Malakand division have appealed to the prime minister to initiate a probe against the then contractor and now State Minister for Water and Power Amir Muqam who had left the project incomplete three years ago without any reason.

The NWFP government had allocated Rs190 million for the widening of a 25-km portion of the Timergara-Dir highway in the year 2002. The NHA later increased the amount to Rs400 million on the demand of the contractor, who said the money was not sufficient for the project.

Despite all these, the contractor left the construction of the road at a time when it was ready for black-tapping (charcoal) without any apparent reason, which resulted in a huge loss to the national kitty.

They also appealed to President General Pervez Musharraf to take action against his cabinet member, who created problems for the people of the district for his personal benefits at the cost of national interest.

They said the dilapidated road was creating hardships for the local and international tourists who used the road to and from Chitral.

Many hotel owners have disbanded their services because the tourists’ numbers were constantly on the decline for the last three years, which subsequently left a large number of local people unemployed.

Similarly, Kumrat, a beautiful valley located in Dir which has the potential to become one of the most frequented tourist resorts after Kalam and Murree for domestic as well as international tourists.

However, because of the broken roads and lack of other basic facilities, tourists hardly risk taking their families for vacations to these areas. There are also a number of places in the area yet to be tapped for tourism.

Talking to Dawn district Nazim Tariqullah said during the last three years they had knocked at the door of all relevant authorities, including ministers, to take action against the former contractor but no action has been taken against him.

He said the dust rising from the road was resulting in lung diseases among the residents of the area. The nazim said they had given a one-week ultimatum to the NHA to start work on the road, otherwise the residents of the area would proceed to Islamabad and would resort to any extreme action.

Mr Tariq also blamed the NHA for giving contract to such people who used substandard materials in pitching repairs which after some time developed potholes.