Hundred of passengers strained at Dir and #Chitral due to closing of #Lawari tunnel on Tuesday.

By: Gul Hamad Farooqi

CHITRAL: Lawari tunnel not opened for passengers on Tuesday as a result hundred of passengers stranded on both sides of the tunnel at Dir upper and Chitral. According to spokesman of National Highway Authority (NHA) as the main land route connecting Chitral to other parts of the country has been blocked at Lawari top due to heavy snowfall and passengers were facilitating to travel inside the Lawari tunnel on Friday and Tuesday (twice a week). According to NHA announced schedule when passengers reached from Peshawar to Dir upper they were very much disappointed to know that Lawari tunnel road were not cleaned from snow which still block and they were stopped at Dir. 

A Chitrali passenger from Dir side also told this scribe that a clash (change of hard words) also occurred between passengers and Dir police. A spokesman of NHA at PD office Dir told that due to heavy snowfall and bad weather snow could not removed from the road timely hence bulldozers of 107 Engineering are busy to remove snow from Lawari tunnel road. In case of not clear of road the passengers will be allowed on Wednesday to travel via Lawari tunnel. 

Passengers coming from Peshawar to Chitral besieged at Dir upper who told that more then 400 vehicles have been reached to Dir but there is no facility especially for women folk and children. They demanded from the authorities that in case of blocking of Lawari tunnel NHA should to announce and inform passengers at Peshawar and Chitral bus stand (ada) to not travel earlier that they arrive from Peshawar or Chitral. It is worth to mention that a child were died due to sever cold weather who freezed at Lawari tunnel road last Friday and passengers faced to stay there for more than 48 hours due to blocking of road and traffic jam.