CHITRAL, Dec 29: Lowari Top, the only road link between Chitral and the rest of the country, might be closed for all kinds of traffic any time as the snow falling season has just started. The district will remain cut off from rest of the country till May 2002.

Tremendous hardships are awaiting Chitralis this time as the travel to Peshawar through the Kunar province of Afghanistan will not be possible due to the tense situation in Afghanistan. It may be recalled that since 1990, the route to Chitral through Afghanistan was used by the travellers. Similarly, the supply of the commodities of daily life had also been regularized through this route.

The essential items of daily use like sugar, kerosene oil, diesel, ghee and milk packs used to run short after the closure of the Lowari Top road before the Afghanistan route had come to be used.