Lowari Tunnel: A Politically
Orphan Project
Lowari tunnel project is neither a choice among many options, nor a
luxury to substitute some handy route to travel to and from Chitral.
It is rather critical being the only choice to fulfill the
fundamental right of people traveling between Chitral and rest of
the country. Chitral has no all weather route. The possibility of
opening the hazardous Nawa pass - Arandu route through the Kunar
Province in winters is as well a remote possibility in the face of
the current security situation on the otherwise unruffled borders.
The exuberance on the faces of people of Chitral witnessed with
completion of first phase of Lowari tunnel project is no more there
as the benefactors of Chitral are no more there. The founder of the
project, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto left this mortal world untimely
while the accomplisher of the project Pervez Musharraf left this
messy country in self-exile. With that completion of Lowari tunnel
project is now a “dream gone sour”.
Lowari tunnel project is now politically orphan. Local leadership in
Chitral, irrespective of party affiliation, has proved to be lacking
both the capability and the acumen to handle this vital issue. It is
for that reason Engr Amir Maqam had to raise the issue in the lower
house of Parliament the other day.
Though the Prime Minister announced release of two billion rupees
for Lowari tunnel project but who will now believe. Senator Zahid
Khan’s expression of his deep anguish over the diversion of funds of
three road projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including the Lowari
tunnel to Multan, which had sent a shockwave across the valley, has
now proved to be factual with practical winding up of Lowari tunnel
project by the peoples government in the centre.
What is needed? Orphans have need of guardianship. The people of
Chitral, as their last hope, are now looking towards President Asif
Ali Zardari who with his political acumen to realize the sufferings
of people of Chitral and right away get involved to save the project
from complete disaster. People also look towards Pakistan Army to
intervene in the matter for the sake their security forces and their
civilian people for security reasons. “The tears of the orphan run
inside”. --