CHITRAL: PTI Member of the National Assembly from Chitral region Abdul Latif has criticised the federal government over “inordinate delay” in the completion of the 157km Chitral-Shandur Road, insisting that funds for the executing agency has been withheld despite bulk fund allocation for the project in the current fiscal.

Mr Latif told reporters here that the mega road project, launched by the last PTI-led government in the centre, had long been awaiting completion due to the shortage of funds in the last three years.

He said that though Rs3 billion had been allocated for the current fiscal and a sum of Rs1.5 billion had to be made so far, only Rs0.25 billion had been made to the National Highway Authority due to which work was moving ahead at a snail’s pace.

The PTI lawmaker said the artery connected the districts of Lower Chitral and Upper Chitral with Gilgit-Baltistan region and could be used as an alternate route of the Chitral-Pakistan Economic Corridor due to its geographical location in case of emergency.

He regretted that the delayed road project had caused troubles for commuters as the road was flooded by the debris of rock cutting and excavation of earth.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2024