Lawyer launches movement to address Chitral’s pressing issues

CHITRAL: District Bar Association Lower Chitral president Sajidullah advocate has announced the launch of an apolitical movement to address the district’s pressing issues in health, road communication and electricity.

Speaking at a press conference at the Chitral Press Club, he stated that the movement would involve civil society organisations to increase pressure on the government. The presser was followed by a one-hour symbolic protest at the District Headquarters Hospital.

At the press conference, Sajidullah along with Abdul Wali Khan Abid, Alam Zeb, Syed Burhan Shah, Nabi Gul Sharqat, and civil society leaders such as Din Muhammad Nadeem, Bashir Ahmad Khan, and Naeem Akhtar criticised the government’s indifference towards Chitral’s basic needs.

They said that people of Chitral have been deprived of essential services like healthcare, roads, and electricity for the last 77 years since Pakistan’s independence, and there is no sign of improvement.

The leaders pointed out that the District Headquarters Hospital in Chitral is facing over 50% shortage of doctors, including specialists. They discussed the absence of an ultrasound technician and said that essential equipment like dialysis machines and CT scanners remain unused due to a lack of human resources, which is why patients there are often referred to hospitals in Peshawar.

They also criticised the poor state of roads in Chitral, which has caused significant hardship for residents from Arandu to Broghil. Despite having power plants like the 108-megawatt Golain facility, residents face severe load-shedding due to the arbitrary actions of Pesco.Sajadullah advocate vowed that the movement would proceed in phases, with no return until the targets are achieved.