Lowari Tunnel to be opened once a week for 12 hours

Chitral — According to a press release issued by the Deputy Commissioner’s office quoting the decision of a concerned meeting at divisional headquarters Saidu Sharif, after the closure of the Lowari pass road, the tunnel would be opened for passenger vehicles once a week i.e on Friday from 7 am to 7 Pm. This will not include trucks and other goods vehicles which will be held back and allowed after these hours. It is not yet clear whether passenger vehicles would cross the tunnel both ways during this time or will have to wait for their turn if the tunnel is made one way. Chitralis have appreciated the 12 hour continuous opening arrangement instead of opening in roughshod patches like previous years, but have requested tunnel opening days to be at least twice a week.

It may be pointed out that PM Nawaz Sharif had repeatedly promised that the tunnel will be opened in December 2016 at all costs, but during his last visit to Chitral he gave the ‘khushkhabri’ in a public meeting that the tunnel will now be opened in June 2017 and the people naively applauded his announcement spontaneously, only to realise later what had happened with them. — CN report, 03 Nov 2017

3 thoughts on “Lowari Tunnel to be opened once a week for 12 hours

  1. The 12 hour continuous opening with two way passage is a sensible thing to do. It will not cause traffic clogging and ensuing ‘Korean torture’ at the entry points of the tunnel and will ensure smooth and unhindered flow of traffic. Where there is a will, there is away.

  2. I belong to Hunza and I read with interest your problem about Lowari tunnel. It seems your people do not want the Lowari tunnel completed otherwise there is no earthly reason why it has lingered on for so long. In my Area the Ata Abad tunnel has been completed in two years from zero to finish. It is same length tunnel.
    I feel either your leaders are not sincere or are incapable or are both, and of course you people are too timid and weak to demand your rights. I see you always look towards personalities as saviour of chitral, mohsin e chitral etc. We don’t behave like that. Why do you?. Looks like you do not have trust in yourself. Please don’t mind my observation but the Lowari tunnel problem coming up every year and i keep reading it has forced me to express my views in your local website.

  3. If the tunnel is opened for two days instead of one day, per week, it will cause 16 days delay in opening of the tunnel, given four months of lowari top road closure. What is 16 days delay when hundreds of thousands of travelers will be spared of travel torture for four crucial months. We are ready for the lowari tunnel being opened in July instead of June, but please allow two full days for using it during this winter.

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