CHITRAL: The annual allocation for the Lowari tunnel project was being increased and work would start simultaneously on the north and south portals of the tunnel this year, said MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin.

Talking to Dawn by telephone from Islamabad on Sunday, Shahzada Iftikharuddin, the only lawmaker of All Pakistan Muslim League in National Assembly, said that prime minister had issued directives, on his request, for early completion of the project.

He said that the widening of the tunnel was in its final stage that would be completed by August while work on the access roads on both sides of the tunnel would be started during the next few months.

The MNA said that the prime minister was interested in early completion of the only mega project of Chitral. The prime minister translated into action his announcement about completing the Lowari project during his tenure on the occasion of inauguration of Hazara section of motorway in Havelian last month, he added.

The lawmaker said that early completion of the project would also help to contain the cost escalation as it had spiraled to Rs26.95 billion from Rs6 billion since the project was launched in 2005.

He said that work on the project had been stopped for three years during the PPP government which led to escalation of its cost by more than four times of its original estimated cost.

The MNA said that initiation of work on the access roads on both sides at the same time would herald completion of the project for which they waited for long. He said that the prime minister also issued directives to restart work on Shandur Road to connect Chitral with Gilgit-Baltistan and onward with China.

“The road is vital for promoting tourism in the area. With the completion of Lowari tunnel project, its importance will be increased manifold,” he added. The lawmaker said that Shandur Road would also provide an alternative route to people in case Karakoram Highway was closed for any reason in future. He added that the route would connect the district directly with Chinese market. — Correspondent

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2015

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