ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: Tempers have started to fray in Chitral over Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)’s decision to once again increase fares on its Chitral route.

Talking to Dawn on the phone, people of the district termed the latest fare hike arbitrary and unjustified and called upon the government to withdraw the decision and announce special package to resolve the communication problems of the district till completion of the Lowari rail tunnel providing an all-weather road to the rugged valley.

When the district’s land link cuts off from rest of the country for over five months in winter due to the closure of the Lowari Pass, the impoverished people are left with no option but to bank on the erratic PIA flights as the only source of communication with the outside world.

The national flag-carrier operates 11 flights a week from Peshawar and has also started daily service from the federal capital this year.

Passengers on the route said within the last two years PIA had increased the Peshawar-Chitral one-way fare from Rs1,300 to Rs2,530. Similarly, the Islamabad-Chitral fare has gone up to Rs2,930 from Rs2,630 within a period of four months.

Criticising the decision, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Wg-Cdr (retired) Fardad Ali Shah said the PIA did not provide facilities to passengers on the Chitral route according to the IATA (International Air Transport Association) rules but was charging them at will.

He pointed out that the aerial distance between Peshawar and Karachi was 1,000 miles and the fare was almost equal to that on the Peshawar-Chitral route which was only 120 miles.

“We should not be penalised for being captive air passengers due to unavailability of an all-weather route,” he observed.

The leading contender for the only National Assembly seat from Chitral said if elected to parliament he would take up the matter at the highest level and not only bring down the air fares on the route but would also persuade private airlines to launch service to Chitral to end the PIA monopoly.