Lowari tunnel project relapses into ‘Go Slow’ mode

Swat motorway & tunnel started last year is scheduled to be completed next March may be before Lowari tunnel is completed

Chitral .. Lowari tunnel which was ‘inaugurated’ by the Prime minister of Pakistan in July last, is still in a pathetic state presenting a visibly neglected look. Hardly any effort is seen at completing the tunnel any time soon. ?Not more than a few workers are seen fumbling inside at any one time and despite two months after inauguration no visible progress is seen by regular travelers through the unfinished tunnel. On the other hand the Swat motorway started work last year, is progressing at a swift pace and in all probability will complete including it’s tunnel and all before our Lowari tunnel work is finished.
Also read ?Not over yet, the tunnel nuisance to continue!

It appears there is no check and balance of the Lowari tunnel project and it will drag on till the next general elections and may be another inauguration then. .. CN report, 12 Sep 2017

7 thoughts on “Lowari tunnel project relapses into ‘Go Slow’ mode

  1. About two weeks prior to the tunnel inauguration by PM, I passed through it and found at least a hundred workers with Koreans and all working frantically to prepare the helipad and venue for PM’s speech outside the tunnel. Recently I traveled again through it and found hardly any progress with the tunnel since that day. The only visible ‘work in progress’ sign is the barriers put in the middle of the dual carriageway tunnel to make it single way. There might be some feeble work going on inside but that is not the way to progress with an already inaugurated tunnel which still remains fifteen hours closed for traffic on pretext of work going on. When PM said “99 percent of the tunnel is complete”, what did he mean? Was he joking with the people? Do we have to wait for another year for the remaining one percent to complete? Can the NHA and our public representatives clarify on this please.

  2. Nothing to wonder about! since 1970s….its been more then 40 years since the work on tunnel started, right! So if the progress from 1970s to 2017 is making 99%, then to complete the remaining 1% still needs few years. So let us be patient and await the elections and announcements! The suffering for Chitral will always be there, as long as we are considered 3rd class citizens of this beloved country!

  3. This is the tragedy that when any government changes its developmental projects also suffer. The credit must be given to Nawaz Sharif for his personal interest in the project which resulted speedy work and consequently brought it to finishing point. But unfortunately after ouster of the government there is non in the scene to take care of the work to put it into fast track that is why work slow down. If there is premature change of govt people suffer.

  4. Ahmad Azam sahib, for your kind information there is no change of government and Nawaz sharif is still the de facto prime minister, therefore your theory is misleading and least bit correct.

  5. I am sorry to say that Nawaz Sharif and Ziaul-Haq was the enemy of Chitrali. How you guys can use better name for these. You know Ziaulaq criticized Shahid Zulfiqar Ali Bhuto in the parliament that Bhutto has invested money for projects which has no benefit for Pakistan like Lawari Tunnel. He brought Nawaz Sharif from then we are suffering. Thanks to Musharaf to re-start the work then thanks to PPP except the Multani Prime minister to change the rail tunnel to road tunnel. We Chitralis have very short memories, we forget things very easily. We were having some good leadership in Chitral like Ataliq sahib, they were selfless and so were having negotiation power. Then Shaheed ZA Bhutto was also having personal interest in Chitral. We don’t have to forget. How we can use name of Nawaz Sharif, come on guys.

  6. And yet the people of Chitral don’t like former PM Nawaz Shareef, who supported the project till its completion, We must praise the personal interest shown by Nawaz Shareef for this huge mega project which was neglected since 1970s. Only if Nawaz Shareef was here we could have found a different view of the tunnel.
    Thank you Nawaz Shareef, Ek Ezat mund insan apni ezat ko khod bunata he ur ap ne yeh sabit kur dekhaya he.

  7. Talking politics over miseries of Chitral only exacerbated the sufferings of the people. All of us are affected alike due to inordinate delays in the completion of Lowari project. Let’s stand with one voice for the early completion of this project and avoid politicizing real issues. Unfortunately this project suffered due to foul play by politicians. What is spent on Lowari Project, comes from the national exchequer, not from anyone’s privy purse. The project of Lowari Tunnel remains incomplete until the approach roads on both sides are completed and it would only be worth its value when it is connected with the CPEC along with constructing all the main internal road networks inside the district.

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