Due to ban imposed on entering of trucks loaded with food commodities via Lowari Tunnel to Chitral district, transporters hailing from Dir said that it was creating shortage of daily food commodities in the Chitral and also huge financial losses.
"Around 200 trucks loaded with daily usage supplies en route to Chitral were left stranded at the Lowari Tunnel, due to ban imposed on entry by the authorities concerned," said Chairman Dir and Chitral Goods Transporters Association, Hakim Mohammad while addressing at a news conference at press club on Wednesday. Accompanied by the Khidmat-e-Khalq Central Chairman, Yousaf Khan, Hamidullah Khan, Haji Noor Jan and Haroon Khan, he said the ban was badly affected businesses. He said that the residents of the district were facing a food shortage due to this issue. He added the KP government has failed to put pressure on the National Highway Authority (NHA) to open the tunnel for three days in a week.
"We strongly rejected the NHA schedule for Lowari Tunnel, Hakim said. He asked to remain open Lowari Tunnel for consecutive three days in a week. NHA should also allow entry of trucks loaded with daily usage food items, to prevent from any further commodities shortages in district Chitral, he demanded. He said that provincial government should take serious notice of the issues, asked the authorities to lift ban on entry of food vehicles via Lowari Tunnel to Chitral district. The transporters threatened that if the demand was not fulfilled within 48 hours, ten they would launch a protest campaign against it.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2014