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Chitral city's bypass road bypassed by successive governments

By Zahiruddin

CHITRAL: The bypass road of Chitral city still remains a dream as four successive governments since 1993 could not materialize it, the people complained. Talking to our correspondent here on Thursday, they said that the main road passing through the city is essentially the same as it was during the former princely state which lasted till 1969 and it quite narrow to facilitate the ever-increasing volume of vehicular traffic. They said that the congestion of traffic is the most serious problem to be solved on emergency basis and diverting all the resources towards it. The population of the district was only 89000 in 1969 and the width of the city road was 12 feet but it is the same in the year 2008 when the population has crossed 5 lakh, a shop keeper Gul Marjan said. He said that the number of vehicles plying in the city could be counted in fingers then but it has ran into thousands due to the influx of the non-customs paid vehicles from Afghanistan. The people complained that the traffic jam has become the order of the day and it adversely affects particularly the students going to schools and colleges in buses. They told our correspondent that the PPP government had announced to construct bypass road for the city to solve the traffic problem in 1993 and the then chief minister Aftab Sherpao even inaugurated the work on it by unveiling the plaque of his name. They said that but to their utter dismay, no practical work was carried out on the site and since then each government pledges to construct the road on ‘top priority basis’ but to no avail. The former MMA government in the province included it its is ADP of the year 2007-08 but allocated only 15 million rupees for the year with which no work could be started. The sources in the Works and Services department which executes the project, said that before commencement of work on the road, the land compensation to the land and shop owners must be cleared which is pre-requisite for the application of compulsory land acquisition Act. The sources said that more than 60 percent of the project involves the cost of land and shops for the road whose proposed length is about 2.5 kms and width is 78 feet. The residents have apprehended that the present government has shelved the project as chief minister did not utter a word about it during his speech in Shandur in July this year. They said that the construction of the road rank second in the district while Lowari tunnel project being the first one. They said that the people no more pin hope on the government for the construction of the road. They said that work on Lowari tunnel was started as it was one of the ‘defense compulsions’ of the country but not for Chitralis while the bypass road has nothing such importance and the people will continue to only dream about it.
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Condolence meeting for Ahmed Faraz held

By our Correspondent

CHITRAL: In a condolence meeting held by PPP Chitral chapter president Zainul Abidin in the chair, the services of late Ahmed Faraz were eulogized for the urdu language and literature. The speakers Iqbal Hayat and others said that his poetry emerged as a message to the depressed and downtrodden people of the country of emancipation and struggle. They said that by returning his national title to the military dictator, he showed his courage and wisdom. They prayed for the eternal peace of his soul.