Work on Lowari Tunnel in final stage, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly told

Senior Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and parliamentary leader of ANP in the provincial assembly on Friday told the assembly that work on Lowari Tunnel is in final stages, adding that work on it had stopped due to chilly season and snowfall.
He was responding to the point of orders raised by the leader of the opposition, Akram Khan Durrani and PPP MPA from Dir Upper, advocate Anwar Khan and others including Mohammad Ali (PPP-Sherpao), Abdul Sattar Khan (PML-N) and Nighat Orakzai (PML-Q).
The senior minister assured the house that after improvement in weather work on the project will be started. In response to the point of order of Mohammad Ali of PPP-Sherpao regarding power load shedding in his constituency, he said that the level of water had fallen in Turbela Dam, which has resulted in the decline of power generation.
Replying the point of order of Abdul Sattar Khan, Bilour said that the distribution of Watan Cards in district Kohistan was started by the Chief Minister himself, saying that the government is ready for the redress of any complaint in this regard.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order, the leader of the opposition, Akram Khan Durrani diverted the attention of the House towards the difficulties faced by the people of the far-flung district Chitral due to the suspension of work on Lowari tunnel.
He said that keeping in view the difficulties faced by the people of Chitral; the government has started work on Lowari Tunnel to provide all weather route access to the landlocked valley. He said that most of the work on the scheme has been completed, but it is still incomplete. The opposition leader said that the standing of water in the tunnel is creating hurdles for the vehicles passing through the tunnel while due to snowfall the road link through Lowari Pass with the valley has also been closed.
The passage, he said, is of very importance for international trade with the Central Asian Republics (CARs). He requested both Federal and Provincial Governments for giving priority to the completion of the project. He said that fortunately the federal minister for communications, Arbab Mohammad Alamgir Khan Khalil also hails from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and he should also be requested for expediting work on the tunnel. He proposed the moving of a formal resolution to ask federal government for early start of work on the project.
The PPP MPA from Dir Upper, Anwar Khan, advocate, said that the problem of the standing of water in the tunnel has been resolved. He said that with the closure of the Lowari Pass, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has also suspended flights for Chitral, which has further multiplied the problems of Chitralis. He said that the project was started during the government of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who himself laid the foundation stone of the project. He said that the project is also very important for the international trade of the country.
Meanwhile, the newly-elected member of the provincial assembly from provincial assembly constituency PK-61, Kohistan-I, Sajjadullah Khan took oath as member of the provincial assembly. The Speaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Kiramatullah Khan who was chairing the proceedings of the House administered oath to him.
Later, he signed the roll call register of the House. Senior Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and parliamentary leader of ANP in the provincial assembly welcomed him in the House and congratulated him on administering oath as member of the House.
Senior Minister also paid to his uncle and late MPA Maulana Obaidullah Khan for his active participation in the proceedings of the House. He said that they are thankful to the people of Kohistan for electing him with overwhelming majority to express confidence in the provincial government.