PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has written to the Federal Minister for Communications, voicing grave concern over the continued neglect of the N-95 Kalam Road and the unacceptable delay in completing its permanent rehabilitation.
In his letter, he emphasized that the N-95 is one of the province’s most critical tourism and economic corridors, serving as the principal route to Kalam Valley and providing essential connectivity to thousands of residents, businesses, and visitors.
He recalled that the catastrophic floods of 2022 severely damaged the highway at seven different locations. While temporary measures restored limited traffic flow, large sections of the road remain in an alarming state of disrepair despite the passage of four years.
The chief minister pointed out that a cumulative stretch of approximately 4,887 metres remains critically damaged at Qandeel, Damlai Madyan, Bahrain Bazaar, Ramait Bahrain, Hawai Ramait, Asrait Kalam, and Bodai Kamar Kalam.
He said the prolonged failure to restore these sections has subjected local communities, transporters, traders, and tourists to daily hardship, avoidable delays, financial losses, and unsafe travelling conditions.
The chief minister stated that the deteriorating condition of the road is not merely an infrastructure issue but one with serious implications for public safety, tourism, commerce, and the wider regional economy.
Stressing that Kalam ranks among Pakistan’s premier tourist destinations, he maintained that the permanent rehabilitation and upgrading of the N-95 can no longer be deferred and must be treated as an urgent national priority to ensure safe, reliable, and uninterrupted access to the region.
The chief minister called upon the federal government and the National Highway Authority to immediately prioritize the completion of all outstanding rehabilitation works and ensure that every damaged section is fully restored before the end of the current tourist season.
He stated that if financial or administrative constraints prevent the National Highway Authority from completing the project within the required timeframe, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should be granted the necessary No Objection Certificate without delay to undertake and finance the remaining work in the larger public interest.
Underscoring the urgency of the matter, the chief minister urged the Federal Minister for Communications to intervene and ensure that immediate, tangible action is taken.He stressed that the people of the region, the tourism sector, and businesses dependent on this vital transport artery cannot be expected to endure further delays, and that the restoration of the N-95 Kalam Road must go ahead.
