Lowari Tunnel: Chitralis demand early completion of project

Korean construction company responsible stopped work on the project in November due to non-payment of funds.

PESHAWAR: A group of social activists and political leaders from Chitral on Wednesday staged a protest demo outside the Peshawar Press Club demanding early completion of the Lowari Tunnel project.

The Korean construction company, Sambu, which is constructing the tunnel stopped work on the project in November due to non-payment of funds. Tanzim-i-Tahafuz Haqooq Chitral Convener and senior Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) leader, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, said that the tunnel was initially scheduled to be completed in December. He said that consultants working on the project have not been paid for past eight months.

The JI leader said that the project cost has escalated from Rs8 billion to Rs23 billion and the delayed by four years. He said that Rs18 billion are still needed to complete the project. “Further delay in completion of the project will swell costs up to Rs50 billion,” he feared.

He demanded of the government to release the required funds to the Korean company so that work could be resumed on the approach roads and bridges on both sides of the tunnel. He also demanded allocation of Rs4.5 billion for the project, immediate payment of eight months’ salaries to its consultants.

Former Nazim of Chitral tehsil Sartaj Ahmed said that as the winter nears, snowfall will block the links of the district with the rest of the country, hence, the tunnel should be opened on an emergency basis.

JI senior leader Sirajul Haq said that the tunnel is important for the people of Malakand and snowfall will result in a shortage of food supply in the district besides other problems. “The govt should not test the patience of Malakand people, otherwise they will be compelled to hold protests,” he added.

The JI leader Akbar said that construction of the Lowari Tunnel is “a matter of life or death for the locals” and threatened of more protests if their demands were not met.

Akbar said that funds were not being released on time and the company was asked for commissions. The company had needed at least Rs4.5 billion annually to complete the project, while the government released only Rs2 billion during the past two and half years. He said that the previous government released Rs5 billion in three years from 2005 to 2008 and digging of at least eight kilometres was thus made possible. At least 40 per cent work on the tunnel was completed under the previous government’s tenure and only five percent work was being done under this government.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2010.