Daily Times

UPPER DIR: Passengers mostly Chitralis praised the Prime Minister of Nawaz Sharif’s directives to allow passing of traffic via Lowari Tunnel two days in a week as hundreds of passengers vehicles had been passed through Lowari Tunnel on Tuesday.

Before that only one day, Friday, a week was fixed to pass traffic through under construction Lowari Tunnel and due to closure of the Lowari Top Road for traffic due to heavy snowfall those Chitrali passengers were facing difficulties in coming and going to Chitral in winter season.

It is worthy to mention here that few days before an unwanted incident took place when a patient a two years old Rehanullah, resident of Asroom, district Chitral, was died when the vehicle in which he was being shifted also stranded due to closure of Lowari Top Road for traffic and not the allowing day, Friday, through Lowari Tunnel.

The unwanted incident and the problems and difficulties of the Chitralis passengers had been highlighted in media, after which the Prime Minister directed the National Highway Authorities (NHA) officials to allow an additional day to Chitrali passengers to pass via Lowari Tunnel to ease their miseries.

Following the Prime Minister’s directives the NHA officials, district administrations of Upper Dir and Chitral and the Pak army announced in a press conference in Panakot army brigade headquarters that an additional day, the Tuesday, had been allowed for passing traffic via Lowari Tunnel.

The Chitrali passengers welcomed and praised the decision of allowing another day a week. They said that they had been facing difficulties during closure of the Lowari top road to traffic and only one day was not enough for them because hundreds of vehicles were still remained deprived from passing through Lowari Tunnel on Friday.

Gul Hamad, resident of Chitral, said that the PM had taken a timely step and directed the authorities to allow another day. He said that though the miseries of the Chitrali passengers had not completely ended however they had got a big relief after allowing an extra day a week.

Farooq Shah, resident Bunny, Chitral, said that they were thankful to Muhammad Nawaz Sharif who gave them a big relief and they then would journey with satisfaction.

“Our people should also cooperate with NHA and Tunnel authorities and with district administration of Upper Dir and Chitral and show tolerance,” said Farooq.

Focal person of the Upper Dir administration, AACR Faheedullah Khan, said that more than two hundreds vehicles from Dir side had been passed through Lowari Tunnel on Tuesday and 81- vehicles from Chitral side.

He said that the district administration of Upper Dir had established helping points in Panakot, Belanzai and Maina Khwar and deployed levies personnel there. “These personnel also keep chains for wheels and would provide assistance to those vehicles which feel need,” said Faheed.

He said that the number of the vehicles was comparatively low than Friday the reason that passengers as well drivers did not aware of Tuesday’s allowing day. However, the passengers and drivers had breathed a sigh of satisfaction after allowing of another day a week, he said.