Opening of Lowari tunnel for light traffic demanded

PESHAWAR: A 15-member delegation of Chitral Students Welfare Association and notables of Chitral led by NWFP minister for population welfare called on NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani and discussed with him various issues related to Chitral.
The delegation informed the governor that people of Chitral used to travel via Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency during winter seasons after the blockade of Lowari Top due to heavy snowfall. But this year it was not possible to travel through Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency because of ongoing operations against the militants in the tribal areas, they said.
The delegation demanded that arrangements should be made to open the under-construction Lowari tunnel for light traffic on temporary basis during the coming winter season.
The governor told the delegation that he would contact the federal government and National Highway Authority to open the tunnel for light traffic on temporary basis soon after the excavation work was over.
The delegation demanded that various valley roads of Chitral including Chitral-Garam Chasma Road, Drosh-Arandu Road, Booni- Yarkhun Road, Booni-Torkhow Road should be widened.
The delegation told the governor that Chitral was the only safe and feasible route to connect Pakistan with Central Asian Countries to which the governor responded that correspondence with concerned quarters to that affect had already been under taken and hopefully there would soon be a leap forward in that regard.
The delegation proposed to strengthen Chitral police and Chitral border police so as to keep vigilant eye on the bordering areas to avoid any possible incursion of militants into Chitral. The governor said that Chitral was the most peaceful area of the province and the government would take every possible step to maintain it peaceful environment.
On this occasion, members of Chitral Students Association demand that reserved seats for Chitrali students in Khyber Medical College should be increased and one seat for Chitrali students be reserved in each department of Peshawar University and one seat in the Women Medical College.
The governor termed the demand of the students just and assured them of taking necessary steps in that regard.
The provincial minister invited the governor to pay a visit to Chitral, which the governor accepted and assured him that he would visit Chitral at the earliest.--APP