CHITRAL: Lowari Pass closed to traffic
CHITRAL, Dec 20: Lowari Pass road connecting Chitral with rest of the country have been closed to all kinds of traffic due to heavy snow last night.
The upper part of the district received more than one foot of snow during the last 24 hours. It may be recalled here that the crucial Lowari Pass was closed for vehicular traffic for the second time in one week.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan government had allowed the Chitrali people to use the Nawa Pass-Arandu route, which runs through the eastern Afghan province Kunar, during winter month.
Two weeks back, District Nazim, Chitral had briefed the federal government about the hardships being faced by the people, which directed the foreign office to hold talks with Kabul on the issue and seek the use-of-route permission from the Afghan government.
The Afghan government agreed to the proposal put up by the foreign office and permitted the Chitrali people to drive through the Kunar province to reach their destination.
After the closure of Lawari Pass, the residents of Chitral would be using Nawa Pass-Arandu instead, but owing to war in Afghanistan they have abandoned the route.
The government asked the Inspector General of Frontier Corps, home and tribal affairs department, political agents of Mohmand and Bajaur agencies to provide safe passage through the tribal belt to people travelling to Chitral.