Lawari Tunnel to open up a new international trade route to landlocked Central Asian States

DIR UPPER, Nov 15 (APP): Federal Minister for Communication Dr. Arbab Alamgir Thursday said that the construction of Lawari Tunnel would open up a new international trade route via Pakistan to the landlocked Central Asian States making this region a hub of enhanced commercial activities. The present PPP Government would complete the dream project Lawari Tunnel costing Rs. 18.13 billion initiated by the founding leader of the Party Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1974. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf who was to perform ground breaking ceremony of construction work on widening of Lawari Tunnel project was postponed due to inclement weather.This gigantic project connects Dir with Chitral District which remained cut off from rest part of the country for five months due to heavy snow fall during winter season.