CHITRAL: The PML-N-led federal government has provided the most funds for road projects in the country to Chitral district, claimed local MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin on Thursday.

“Ours has become the district, which has received the highest amount of funds for road projects from the PML-N government in the centre. These funds valuing over Rs32 billion will cause the replacement of dusty and narrow mountainous tracks with dual roads of the international standard,” he told Islamabad-based reporters over the telephone here on Thursday.

The MNA said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had announced road projects for Chitral during a visit to the area three years ago and that those projects would be launched soon after the formalities were fulfilled.

“Tenders have been called for the 82km Chitral-Gobor Road valuing Rs8.66 billion and 32km Kalash valley Road valuing Rs4.6 billion, while the 153km Chitral-Shandur Road will cost Rs16.7555 billion,” he said.

Mr Iftikharuddin said the Lot Oveer-Terich Valley Road project was approved by the Central Development Working Party last month and that the road passed through the foothold of Terich Mir, the highest peak of Hindu Kush system of mountains.

“This project will prove a catalyst for tourism promotion in the region as it will provide eco-tourists and mountaineers with a direct road access to more than 60 peaks of Hindu Kush mountain range having more than 7,000 meters altitude besides interconnecting five union councils,” he said.

The MNA also said the federal government-funded Booni-Shagram Road project was being executed in the district by the provincial government under the Public Sector Development Programme at the cost of Rs1.2 billion.

He added that the National Highway Authority would build four reinforced cement concrete suspension bridges over the Chitral River in four different areas, which were washed away by flash floods in 2015 but weren’t rehabilitated by the provincial government.

Mr Iftikharuddin said the private sector would get a big boost after the completion of the road projects, which would create jobs for both skilled and unskilled manpower and promote tourism industry.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2018