PESHAWAR, July 9: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has disclosed that earth-breaking of the Lowari Tunnel Project will be performed during the next month and President Gen Parvez Musharraf will lay the foundation-stone of the project.

He said funds for the project had already been allocated in the current financial year’s budget.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the Polo Tournament at Shandur in District Chitral, on Tuesday morning, the governor also announced that a grand festival would be held on the occasion of launching the Lowari Tunnel project, enabling the people of the entire district to commemorate the event with full festivity.

The ceremony was also attended by the Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz, Commander of 10-Corp (Rawalpindi), Lt Gen Arif Hassan, provincial ministers Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani and Ubeedullah Jan, and officials.

The tournament is a regular feature, being participated by a number of polo teams from Chitral and Northern Areas. This year the tournament has been arranged by the district government Chitral in collaboration with the NWFP Tourism and Culture Deptt.

The governor referring to the Lowari Tunnel  project said that President Musharraf  was personally taking keen interest in this project and he had also directed the National Highway Authority to initiate practical work on it without any delay.

With the completion of this project, the governor said, not only a pleasant change would usher in the socio-economic life of the people of Chitral but it would also prove an effective source to generate economic activity in the entire country.

Talking about the scope of tourism development in Pakistan, the governor said nature had blessed us with abundance of resources with vast deserts as well as lush green farms and meadows together with big snow-covered mountains that have great attraction for the tourists.

He said we are also making efforts for development yet there is a great need to develop the resources and improve tourism facilities to attract more tourists. In fact, he said, we direly need an effective marketing strategy not only to promote tourism but also to introduce the local products for boosting international trade as well.

Talking about impact of Shandur Festival on the local culture, the governor said, despite communication gap owing to geographical hindrances exiting between the people of Chitral and the Northern Areas, the government was playing a significant role in the promotion and strengthening of brotherly relations between the respective people.

Keeping this fact in mind, he said this event should be converted into a big festival which beside the tournament, should also include other cultural activities of both the areas. The presence of thousands of tourists and polo fans not only from within the country but from abroad as well to witness this event, he said, is also the result of the sincerity and spirit of brotherhood of the Chitrali people.

Earlier, presenting the address of welcome, District Nazim Shahzada Mohiuddin highlighted the importance of Lowari Tunnel in the economic wellbeing of the local people.