Decision challenged: Petition against Lowari Tunnel closure

Akbar says construction work only begins when people need to be wooed ahead of the elections.

PESHAWAR: Former member national assembly Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali filed a petition at the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the closure of Lowari Tunnel on Thursday. The petition, filed through his counsel Muhibullah Trichwi, maintained that the tunnel is the only route for residents of Chitral, but only remains open on Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays for three hours. “Its closure for the rest of the week has troubled 0.6 million residents of the Valley.” It added that besides causing a shortage of goods and other daily commodities, people were facing immense problems in shifting patients from Chitral to Peshawar and other parts of the country. Akbar said construction work only begins when people need to be wooed ahead of the elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2012.