Lowari tunnel ready for opening at last!
ISLAMABAD: Lowari tunnel is ready for inauguration by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The National Highway Authority (NHA) completed work on the 8.4 km long tunnel on the direction of the prime minister.
It is expected that the prime minister would open the tunnel for general traffic on July 1.
An official told APP in Islamabad that work on the project had been completed at a cost of 21 billion rupees.
After opening, the tunnel will provide round-the-clock traveling facility to the people of Chitral even during the harsh winter season.
He said the Prime Minister had been requested to inaugurate the the tunnel next month.
Terming it a gift of Prime Minister for people of Chitral, he said the PML-N government after coming to power had approved additional funds for the project to ensure its completion as early as possible.
Work on the mega project started in 2005 during the regime of Gen Pervez Musharraf.
The construction of the tunnel had been a longstanding demand of the people of Chitral who remained cut off from the rest of the country in the winter due to snowfall on the Lowari Pass.
The work could not be completed on time due to stoppage of funds when the PPP came to power in 2008. However, the PML-N government spent over Rs20 billion to complete the project.
I could not express my emotion for TODAY…Thursday (20-07-2017)……inauguration Ceremony by Great Leader Mian Nawaz Sharif…. the sign of Progress and stability for PAKISTANIS. We will remember you always and will pray for the contribution in completion of the Project. Dear Musharaf Sahib… You are too great. Salam all of you.
Count down Lowari Tunnel Opening, It is now July 7. Announcement by NHA and our Expectations of opening are July 017. Probably NHA is waiting for Shandur Festival and for Prime Minister visit. Anxiously waiting for its opening in July 2017.
We appreciate the efforts of all from Attaliq Jaffar Ali Shah to Iftikharuddin who made tireless efforts for starting and getting fund for this mega project. We cannot forget the efforts of Abdul Akbar Chitrali who spoke for this project in every forum. Finally the dream come true and all Chitralis shall benefit from it as all weather route for Chitral.
Credit goes to Ataleqh Jafar Ali Shah without his raising the issue repeatedly in parliament even ZA Bhutto could not have even know where Lowari was. Today when his dream is coming true, the tunnel must be named as Atalegh Tunnel. The contributions of Bhutto, Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif are secondary. We salute to the vision of Atalegh saheb and may his soul rest in place.
pm nawaz sharif and pervez musharaf zindaabad
Please start counting down from today 14 June 2017. It means 16 days left for opening.
Without emotional attachment with any political party, we must see things from Chitral larger national interest perspective and appreciate all those who have done something for us. I must appreciate Nawaz Sharif government for uninterrupted fund supply to the project which is resulted its timely completion. At the same time we cannot forget those who actually initiated and those revived it later on. If we want to do politics in the name of Lawari tunnel, then there is enough room for that but those who have done really good work is crystal clear.
If nawaz sharif was so sincere for the construction of the lawari tunnel then why didn’t he start work during his previous regime…??I hope you remember nawaz sharif hostile remarks when pervaz musharaf inaugurated the tunnel..this tunnel would have been no more then just a day dreaming if pervaz musharaf had not come to our emancipation..
Lo, here we have a new ‘mohsin e chitral’ ready to crow. A tunnel that should have taken two years to build has taken eleven years to inaugurate, and we will still be grateful and thankful to all and sundry even to the NHA, SAMBO and security personnel who treated chitralis like animals all these years.
Geo Nawaz
We must thank all for their contribution in the tunnel completion except yousaf Raza gillani.
Thank You PM, you have re-started already abandoned project and finally completed it for the people of Chitral. Not only this particular project is completed but huge amount is allocated in the current budget for approach roads of tunnel in Dir and Chitral site. We must be grateful to all the leaders from Z.A Bhuttu to Musharaf and especially Nawaz Sharif who contributed their share in the project which was almost shelved during the era of Zardari and funds of lawari was diverted to Multan. Machinery and other equipment s were almost shifted from the site by SAMBO company and it is Nawaz Sharif who restarted work on the dead project, therefore credit must be given to him for his lion share.
We are also thankful to MNA Iftikharudin whose facebook posts helped the construction a lot –
It was the right of Chitral, and no favour. The geo-strategic situation had necessitated the construction of the tunnel. However, Nawaz Sharif must be given the credit to provide such huge amount for the project, which was denied in the previous government on one pretext or the other.
The best news of the century for the people of Chitral. Congratulation to all Chitralians.
PPP ke panch Sal pory hoe ik pesa ispe nei lgaya
At least is hakumat Ky hr ADP me raqam mukhtas hoi Weldon PML n hukomat
If Chitralis are that brave; if ithey are his diehard supporters; if it is his stronghold; if there exists any APML leadership, Musharraf should be there to inaigurate the tunnel. The tunnel is ready for inauguration now, the APML leadership should stop Nawaz Sharif from inaugurating the tunnel. Bring Musharraf from Dubai to inaugurate the tunnel and go back immediately puffing his Cuban cigar.
What worries me at this point in this is the delay for opening for general public once it is inaugurated by PM.
the credit goes to Musharaf but at the same time we should acknowledge the struggle of NNA sab and support PM Nawaz sharif(by the way i am not suporter PMLN). sorry to say previous PPP govt did not spend a single peny on the project.
انہوں نے اگر کرنا ہوتا تو اپنے پہلے دو ادوار میں کرتا۔ کم از کم اتنے فنڈ تو مہیا کرتا کہ پراجیکیٹ وقت پہ تکمیل کو پہنچتا۔ ٹنل نےکبھی تو تیار ہونا ہی تھا۔ بس اتفاق سے نواز شریف کے دور میں تیار ہورہا ہے تو وہ اس کا پورا کریڈٹ لینے ارہا ہے۔ ہم چترالی قوم کو اچھی طرح پتہ ہے کہ ہمارے لئے اس کے دل میں کتنا درد ہے۔ وہ دو دفعہ پولو گراونڈ چترال میں اس کا اظہار کرچکا ہے۔ لواری ٹنل کا کریڈٹ بھٹو اور پرویزمشرف کے علاوہ کسی کو نہیں جاتا۔
Yap this is so heart touching news 4all chitrali nation.
Dear readers plz note missing words in first line as”Construction of Lawari Tunnel from ZA Bhutto to PM Nawaz Sharif”
Yes there are many political leaders played their vital role for construction of from ZA Bhutto to PM Nawaz Sharif and we the people of Chitral are really thankful to PM Nawaz Sharif for providing funds on regular basis. We are also thankful to Ex- and Present MNAs, MPAs and other political leaders and civil society organization for playing their sincere role in same regards
By agreeing with the comments of Mr. Ijaz Ahmed Sahib and without any political affiliation or differences I would like to add that General Pervaiz Musharraf(May he live long) resumed work on 28 years abandoned and dead project of Lowari Tunnel(1977-2005) which was initially proposed by the then MNA Ataleq Jaffar Ali Shah Sahib(May his soul rest in peace) and work started by the then PM Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed(May his soul rest in peace).Unfortunately during the regime of Yousaf Riza Gilani and Asif Ali Zardari Sahib instead of accelerating work on the project funds existing in the pipeline were transferred to Multan and Larkana that disheartened Chitralis to a large extent ( as stated by Senator Zahid Khan Sahib) but still we respect them and we don,t want to dishearten their fans and supporters. we are grateful to MNA shahzada Iftikhar Uddin Sahib and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sahib for non-stop funding for the completion of the project.we can not forget even a cup of tea offered by someone, then can we forget Billions of rupees worth project given to us(Sey ta Dushman diki birai).
we are also thankful to Ex PPP Prime minister Gellani to transfer the Fund to Multan.
Only Civil Works of the Lowari Tunnel will be completed till end of June, 2017. Electrical and Mechanical Works are not yet to be started in both the Tunnels. Therefore it is decided by the NHA that Lowari Tunnel will be temporary operational only for 04 hours on daily basis not all around the clock after inauguration of the Project in July or August, 2017.
We the chitralis r thankful to every body who played their role for the construction of lawari tunnel.late Ataliq Jaffar Ali shah late Qadir nawaz Khan late ghafoor shah molvi Muhammad wali maulana Abdur rahim shehzada mohiudin maulana abdul Anbar and so many others. The pioneer was late zulfiqar Ali Bhutto the beginner general musharaf the completor mian nawaz sharif.we salute to all.
We thank MNA Iftikharuddin and Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif for allocating large amount of money from ADPs for timely completion of the tunnel. If there was delay or less amount was allocated for the project, it might take some more years to complete.
Thanks PM nawaz sharif
I hope Nawaz Sharif does not get disqualified for Panama case before inauguration of the tunnel else the inauguration will get delayed for another indefinite time period.
The credit for lawari tunnel goes to former president Gen(r) Pervaz Musharaf and never to mian saib…To associate this mega project with nawaz sharif is more like “kuja asheq kuja college ki bakwaz”..our heart fills with great reverence for the former president Pervaz Musharaf..the real benefactor of chitral.