CHITRAL: Jamaat-i-Islami, Lower Chitral chapter has announced to launch a movement to push for improving the condition of roads in the district.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, JI district emir Wajeehuddin said that the dilapidated condition of roads was the major reason for the backwardness of the region.

Jamaat provincial naib emir Maghfirat Shah, Maulana Jamshed, Shujaul Haq, Fazle Rabbi Jan and Abdul Haq were also present.

He said that the people of both Lower and Upper Chitral districts were dismayed over the indifference of the successive governments, including the present one, towards the poor road infrastructures due to corruption in departments executing the road projects.

Wajeehuddin said that tourism was the worst-hit sector in Chitral in the absence of proper road infrastructures right from Lowari tunnel to Broghil in the north and the Kalash valleys.

Mr Wajeeh said that the roads to the tourist spots were basically pony tracks of the British-era and it was pity that the width of roads of Kalash valleys, Madak Lasht, Terich Mir, Sha Junali and Broghil was hardly five feet.

He said that due to the dilapidated roads, a tourist coming here did not wish to return to Chitral valley.

Divulging the four-staged protest strategy, he said that the first stage would be raising of mass awareness, the second stage would consist of public protests, and in the third stage, the local offices of National Highway Authority would be locked down, while during the last stage, a wheel-jam strike would be started till acceptance of their demand.

Mr Wajeeh also questioned the arrival of prime minister’s inspection team to Chitral in February last to check the substandard construction of Chitral-Shandur Road as no action had so far been taken against the culprits.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2025