Volunteerism at its best: Residents start work on Mastuj-Booni Road on self-help basis

CHITRAL: In a historic move, the volunteers of Mastuj, Yarkhun and Laspur valleys on Thursday launched work on the Mastuj-Booni road on a self-help basis.

The people decided to build the Mastuj-Booni Road on a self-help basis after successive governments didn’t bother to construct the important artery that connects Chitral to Gilgit-Baltistan as well as Wekhan corridors. A large number of enthusiastic people gathered on the road early in the day and started work after recitation from the Holy Quran. “We had built this jeep-able track till Parwak on a self-basis basis years back but the road was in dilapidated condition now. Several deadly accidents have occurred on the road but the successive governments ignored the project on one pretext or the other,” Prof Dr Isamil Wali, the man behind the initiative, told reporters.

He said they were visiting various villages and the response of the people was tremendous. “We have the experience of volunteerism. Though the project is gigantic, we have planned to meet all challenges,” he said, adding the people were angry over the apathy of the rulers and want to contribute to the construction of the road. “We have developed a mechanism to collect funds and have trustworthy people to utilise the fund in a fair manner,” Ismail Wali said, adding as an educationist he had noticed there was a sense of deprivation among the youth. “And now the energy of the youth is being channelized positively,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Ihtishamuddin appreciated the spirit of the youth. “We believe in a participatory approach to development and will succeed in our mission,” he went on to add.