CHITRAL, Jan 14: The programmes of festivities scheduled to celebrate completion of the first phase of Lowari rail tunnel were to be cancelled due to snowfall here on Wednesday.

Public holiday had been announced by the district government to ensure maximum number of people in the programmes which included performing special prayers in congregations, visit to the tunnel and public rallies.

District Nazim Maghfirat Shah told Dawn that the festivities would be held later. He said completion of the first phase was a landmark in the history of Chitral providing inhabitants ‘all-weather’ route who were hitherto virtual prisoners within the boundaries of the lofty mountains of Hindukush range.

Meanwhile, Chitral valley continued to receive intermittent snowfall for the last two days and the higher altitudes had reportedly received more than three feet snow. Vehicular traffic had been suspended to many valleys including Terich, Golan, Oveer, Yarkhoon and Karimabad.