Passengers clear Lowari Pass of snow with shovels

The Lowari Pass remains closed to traffic for five months from December to April due to heavy snowfall on the mountains. The truckers complained that the National Highway Authority had not taken responsibility to reopen the road. The same is the case with the district administrations of Upper Dir and Chitral, they added. Zahir Khan, a local transporter, said they cleared the snow from the road in biting cold on self-help basis as the concerned authorities had failed to provide heavy machinery for the purpose. “We cleared snow from the road with shovels and other tools to ensure that the traffic is restored on it,” he added. However, the truckers were jubilant after the road was reopened. They said that they had parked their trucks and were waiting for its reopening. Sultan Rahim, a truck driver from Dir, said he was happy that the road had been reopened to traffic. He added that due to closure of the road, the truckers were sitting idle as they had spent whatever money they had with them. Not only transporters, but passengers too, especially Chitralis, were also happy at reopening of the road. They said that they had waited for a couple of days for reopening of the road to reach their destinations. Sudais Ahmad, a resident of Mardan, who was accompanying his newly-married wife, said that they were on their way to Dir after visiting Chitral using the Lowari Pass, but were stranded due to its closure owing to snowfall. He said that now they could travel back home after the snow was cleared from the road.–Dawn]]>