PESHAWAR: Chitral district nazim Maghfirat Shah on Saturday expressed his concern over the death of a boy while thousands of passengers were stranded due to closure of Lowari tunnel and asked the relevant police officials to register an FIR against the officials of National Highway Authority (NHA).

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, the nazim said that due to closure of the tunnel the stranded people had only one option to cross the 9,500 feet high Lowari Top on foot by taking life risk.

He said that one Hazrat Jan was taking his ailing son to Peshawar for medical treatment, but he died on the way due to inclement weather because the NHA officials did not allow them via the tunnel.

Mr Shah said that thousands of people on either side had to reach their destinations, but they were stuck due to the bad weather and the federal government was least bothered to take any notice of the alarming situation.

He said that the population of over 700,000 depended on NHA for opening of the tunnel. He said that many patients were waiting to reach hospitals in Peshawar, but they were unable to proceed in the prevailing circumstances.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2017