CHITRAL, 27 Oct 09: "Lowari tunnel will be a road tunnel" announced Federal Minister for communications Arbab Alamgir Khan in his concluding remarks after presiding over a seminar which was convened to obtain view points from stake holders on the matter.

The Seminar participants included the Federal minister for SAFRON, Najmuddin Khan, Minister of State for Communications Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Provincial minister for population welfare Salim Khan, MNA Chitral Shahzada Mohiuddin, MPA Dir Anwar Khan, District Nazim Chitral Maghfirat Shah, District Nazim Dir Sahibzada Tariqullah, Chairman NHA and his staff, heads of Geo Consult and SAMBU companies, civil society representatives and opinion leaders.

Participants of the seminar unanimously voted for a road tunnel and said the time to make the change was right away. Even the Austrian consultant Dr Johann Golser, who had designed the rail tunnel had undergone a change of heart and now vehemently supported the road tunnel in his presentation.

 Wg Cdr (r) Fardad Ali Shah who had pioneered the idea of a change in design to a road tunnel thanked the government particularly the Minister of communications for his personal interest in this national project of great importance. In his address to the seminar, he suggested to keep the tunnel simple and if possible be handed over to local contractors for the remaining part of the work to keep the cost low and completion timely.  He also suggested to make the tunnel formally available for a few hours a day for public use these winters after closure of the Lowari pass, which was agreed to in principle, by the Minister and the Chairman NHA.

The meeting was informed that administrative issues with the SAMBU company had been sorted out and full fledged work on the road tunnel would resume in two weeks time. (CN report)

--------------------------