CHITRAL: Leaders of various political parties in Chitral have demanded inquiry into alleged corruption in communication and works (C&W) department in Chitral.

They threatened to launch a protest movement if people involved in the corruption were not brought to book.

Addressing a press conference at Chitral Press Club on Monday, Din Mohammad Nadeem, Wajeehud Din, Qazi Naseem, Alhaj Eidul Hussain, Mohammad Kausar, Sharif Hussain, Maulana Javed, Maulana Israr and others alleged that disaster funds were embezzlement by C&W department recently.

They said that exorbitant payments were made through bogus bills in restoration works of Chew Bridge, Governor Cottage Road, Denin Gahtak Road and byepass road.

“There is a need to thoroughly investigate the payments made in all public works departments, including tehsil municipal administrations of both Chitral and Drosh where there are allegedly many ghost and defective projects, in which officers and contractors of these departments have shared the profits among themselves by overbilling,” they alleged.

The political leaders demanded that the payments made for development works in the last five years should be made public so that people could understand facts, otherwise they would make the information public.

The executive engineer of C&W, Waseem Khan, when contacted, said that the payment of every penny of development or infrastructure maintenance or repair works was made under a regulated and integrated system.

He said that allegations were levelled about payments made before his appointment in Chitral. He said that he would be in a better position to comment on it after seeing relevant file.

MARKHOR: Another American hunter hunted down a Kashmir Markhor with 42-inch horn in Gahiret-Golen conservancy here on Monday with the active support of local community.

A member of local conservation committee of Gahiret village told Dawn that Brain Neil Windham hunted the markhor from a distance of 200 yards.

The hunter had obtained a hunting permit of non-exportable trophy for $65,000 from wildlife department. The horns of the hunted markhr are retained by government.

Earlier this week, an American had hunted a Kashmir Markhor of 55-inch horn in Tushi-Shasha conservancy under exportable trophy scheme for which he had paid $243,000.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2025