CHITRAL: Residents of Torkhow valley here have demanded of the government to ensure speedy completion of the Booni-Buzund Road, work on which had started some 15 years ago.

Speaking at a Press Forum organised by the Chitral Press Club in Shagram village the other day, the notables of the area, including Waqas Ahmed Advocate, Mohammad Saeed Khan, Sher Aziz Baig, Minhajuddin and others, said the completion of the 34km road had been the longstanding demand of the people.

They complained the communication and works department was not executing the project as per its approved design. They said the approved width of the road was 28 feet but it had been reduced to 15 feet in the hilly areas.

They said the road not only connected over 150,000 people with rest of the country but it was also important from tourism point of view.

They expressed their resolve not to compromise on the quality and quantity of the project.

They said one of the reasons of inordinate delay in completion of the road was paucity of funds despite the fact that the project had been included in the Public Sector Development Programme.

They said due to shortage of funds, the construction firm had abandoned work on the road.

The elders also demanded dispatching a mobile team of the National Database and Registration Authority to the area as the residents faced problems in travelling to the nearest office in Booni.

They also demanded creation of revenue tehsil in Torkhow consisting of two union councils of Torkhow and one union council of Terich.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2021