Dilapidated condition of roads: JI to launch protest drive in Chitral

CHITRAL: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Saturday announced a protest drive to highlight the dilapidated condition of roads and alleged corruption in the National Highway Authority (NHA).

The announcement was made by Jamaat-e-Islami Lower Chitral head Wajihuddin during a press conference held at the party’s district office here.

The JI leader said that the campaign, to be carried out in four phases, would culminate in a district-wide wheel-jam strike involving residents from Arandu to Broghil.

Wajihuddin stated that the root cause of Chitral’s persistent backwardness was its severely neglected road infrastructure. “The government has completely turned a blind eye to the region, allowing corruption in road projects to reach alarming levels,” he said, adding, “Instead of remaining silent spectators, we have decided to take to the streets and initiate a phased protest movement.”

He said the first phase of the movement would begin next Friday, with public rallies held in multiple areas between Kari village and Mastuj.

In the second phase, he said, the party would call for a wheel-jam strike with the full support of the local Drivers Union.

The third phase, he said, would involve symbolic lockdowns of NHA offices in Chitral.

In the final phase, he maintained, the residents from Arandu to Broghil would be mobilised for a large-scale wheel-jam protest across the district.

Wajihuddin specifically criticized the Chitral-Shandur Road project, calling it a prime example of federal government negligence and NHA corruption. “A fully functional road built decades ago has been destroyed and left in ruins. This is nothing short of criminal negligence,” he added.

He also dismissed the recent visit by the Prime Minister’s Inspection Team as ineffective, claiming it resulted in no practical reforms or action against corrupt officials.

The JI leader said they would involve all political parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, as well as civil society organisations in the protest movement.