PESHAWAR: Chitral Lawyers Forum has expressed concern over the government’s failure to allocate sufficient funds for rehabilitation of the infrastructure destroyed by floods in recent years, and demanded practical steps for provision of basic facilities to the affected people.

Speaking at news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, the forum’s president Syed Rahmat Ali Shah counted a number of problems being faced by the people in his home district and asked the government to allocate sufficient funds to repair the damaged roads, school buildings and provide staff to hospitals.

The forum’s main demand, he said was bifurcation of Chitral as it had vast natural resources but the government was not paying attention to it.

Flanked by other-office bearers of the forum, including its general secretary Qazi Waqar Iqbal, Mohammad Ishtiaq, Saleemuddin and Shahid Alam Khan, Mr Shah said that Chitral was the only district which always remained cut off from rest of the country during winter but successive governments had never taken steps for safe and uninterrupted communication of the people.

“On one hand, PIA flights are usually cancelled, and on the other, its fare has been increased to the extent that maximum of the people are unable to afford it,” he complained and said viable solution to the problem was opening of the Lowari Tunnel at the earliest.

He said the Chitral Lawyers Forum was set up to provide free legal aid to anyone in need of help in the backward district. The forum, he said would also raise voice for rights of the Chitralis.

He also talked about problems confronted by farmers as their fruit orchards were destroyed during the floods, saying the people had suffered huge financial losses but the government did not compensate them.

He urged the inhabitants of Chitral, especially the lawyers, students and traders, to join hands to raise collective voice for development of their area.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2017