NWFP Minister for Population Welfare, Saleem Khan has strongly demanded that helicopter service may be operated between Dir and Chitral on urgent basis. He said there are many Chitrali passengers in Peshawar and other parts of the province who are stranded on account of closure of Lowari Top, the only land route of Chitral due to heavy snow-falls.
This, he demanded in a special meeting with the Chief Minister NWFP Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in Peshawar, the other day. The Chief Minister assured the Population Minister that he would take immediate steps to bring the miseries of Chitralis in to the notice of the federal government and personally contact the Prime Minister to operate helicopter service between Dir and Chitral to put an end to the difficulties of Chitralians.
On this occasion, the Provincial Minister Saleem Khan said that due to law and order situation and the on-going military operation against the militants in Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies, Chitralians were reluctant to use the alternate Nawapass-Kunar road as it was full of risks in the prevailing circumstances.
On the other hand, the scheduled flights of PIA are often cancelled due to bad weather conditions. Consequently, a large number of Chitrali passengers are stranded in Peshawar for the last so many days. In this situation, the only alternate way to safely transport the passengers from and to Chitral is helicopter service.