The Lowari Tunnel era
.letter
Chitral is one among the far flung and backward
areas of Pakistan truncated in the mountains, the very stumbling block
particularly in the way of economic development being the Lawari top, a tunnel
through which is nearly completion. People of Chitral, from the core of their
heart, pay tribute to the great personalities who achieved this unimaginable
task for Chitral. The pioneer of the Lawari Tunnel idea and successors
deserve homage for the project. Korean sambu company and NHA are appreciated
because they materialized it.
Chitral is strategically important for South Asian politics and has now been in
the spotlight in the war on terror as well as a gateway for Central Asian
republics (CARs). After formal opening of the Lawari Tunnel for traffic, Chitral
is going to be a hub of different people with different economic, religious,
political and cultural motives.
No one can deny the fact that globalization has shrunk the world into a village
where only one culture survives which is stronger than that of others but being
the People of Chitral we have conspicuous, mesmerizing and well-built cultural
values unique and quite different from the rest of the people.
We are more sanguine about the Tunnel because we
can get lots of benefit from the irrevocable communication and transportation
system. One grave challenge is attached with it is as well which we should not
forget. How sue- generic life style and culture of Chitral is to be protected
from different ganglions of threads and onslaught is a question mark. It does
not mean that we should confine our identity in the confines of the
fortification but keep on progressing. When the process of development is
prevented, it results in decay and doom to death. Assimilation of such elements
which are inconsistent with our culture, traditions and way of life should be
shielded. It ought to be debatable topic of the day before the intelligentsia
and educated young generation, how to preserve our cultural beauty from the
subtle influx of such elements which are dangerous for our innocent and simple
natured people.
Our
way of life and approach is glaringly different from the rest of the world. It
therefore, seems to be a difficult challenge before us to protect our cultural
identity. There may be some people in Chitral who would not be agreeing with me
which would be a good omen of more deliberation on the issue, while most of the
people are brooding on it carefully like Professor Rehmat Karim Baig which he
succinctly indicated in his letter titled “The Great Work.
Through this esteemed e-paper of Chitral which has been playing a leading role
as a mouthpiece of the public and doing important job to educate the public
about such things, I would like to draw the attention of the intelligentsia and
enlightened elite to make groundwork for mass education before exodus of the
people through the Tunnel. We therefore, can not deny the benefits via Lawari
Tunnel but we should also keep in mind the challenges associated with it..
Alhaj Muhammad Khan
Charun .Chitral
15 April 2010.
