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Lawrai tunnel will be completed on stipulated time...Saleem Khan

chitraltimes Report

PESHAWAR: NWFP Minister for Population Welfare, Saleem Khan has strongly reputed the news item published in a section of the press wherein it has been stated that the federal government has decided to convert the lowari rail tunnel into a road tunnel and drop the two kilometer access road tunnel project on the southern side of the lowari tunnel, due to financial constraints. The Minister has termed the news report as baseless, unauthentic and a deliberate attempt to create unrest among the people of chitral.

Talking to a delegation of Chitral at his office on Wednesday, he said that lowari rail tunnel project was the project of the federal government and it was taking keen interest in the timely completion of the project and is determined to construct the tunnel as per its original plan. The Minster clarified that the tunnel had been planned as rail tunnel and would be constructed as it had been initially planned.

The Minister strongly refused that the federal government had curtailed two billion rupees out of the allocated funds of the project. The excavation of the lowari tunnel is scheduled to be completed by December 2008 and would be completed within the stipulated time, he further clarified.

The Minster urged the management of the local newspapers of chital to avoid publishing such unfounded news keeping in view their professional responsibilities and ethics as such news create unrest in the public.