PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party MPA from Chitral Sardar Hussain has expressed concern over the shortage of food items in his district and asked the government to allow trucks loaded with different goods to pass through the Lowari Tunnel otherwise famine-like situation could arise in the district.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Mr Hussain said that dozens of trucks loaded with vegetable, rice, wheat flour, milk and other food products had been stranded on the Dir side due closure of the Lowari Tunnel for last three weeks, as they were not allowed to proceed further.

He alleged that the government and officials concerned were deliberately creating famine-like situation in Chitral district.

He said that the population of around seven million was kept deprived of all necessary food items for the past many days while heavy snowfall had made their lives miserable.

Demand opening of Lowari Tunnel

Flanked by another PPP MPA Saleem Khan, JUI-F leader Umar and ANP activist Sadiq Amin from Chitral, Mr Hussain asked the government and National Highway Authority to open the Lowari Tunnel for one day for trucks so that they could transport the edible items to Chitral.

He called for effective role of the district administration of Dir and Chitral for resolving problems of people of the region.

The lawmaker said that Chitralis would hold protest demonstrations today (Friday) in the district to raise voice against the prolonged closure of the tunnel.

“If the government and officials concerned are unable to resolve the issue then food items should be supplied by the Pakistan Army to the district,” he said.

He claimed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had failed to provide the required funds to NHA as per agreement to ensure opening of the tunnel for three days a week.

MPA Saleem Khan said that the Pakistan Army, NHA and Sambo, a Korean construction company, had signed another agreement in consultation with the representatives and local people of Chitral under which only small vehicles were allowed to pass through the Lowari Tunnel.

He demanded of the government to keep the tunnel open from 10:00am to 10:00pm keeping in view miseries of the people.

The provincial legislators also asked the authorities to open roads and link routes in Chitral district.

They said that the provincial government had not yet cleared

financial liabilities of NHA, which was causing prolonged closure of the tunnel.

They threatened that if the government did allow trucks loaded with food commodities within a day the people of Chitral will hold a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House besides besieging the building of NHA and Parliament House in Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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