PESHAWAR, Dec 3: MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali has said he expects that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will soon announce a relief package for the calamity-hit people of Chitral district. The package is likely to include 15,000 tons of wheat.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Maulana Chitrali said that if the federal government did not provide immediate relief, people of the valley would die of starvation because 70 per cent of their crops and orchards had been destroyed by October's heavy storm, rains and snowfall.

He said that a 19-member delegation headed by him had called on the prime minister last Saturday and apprised him of the problems faced by the people, as a result of the havoc wreaked by the storm.

He said that the prime minister had sought a complete report from NWFP chief secretary and Chitral's DCO and promised action on the basis of these reports. "We also urged the prime minister to allocate Rs9 million for electricity projects for three villages of the district - Bioldi, Keeso and Jinjari Koh.

I have already allocated Rs3 million from my discretionary fund for the projects, but as their estimated cost is about Rs12 million, we requested the PM to arrange the remainder," he said.

About the Lowari Rail Tunnel project, he said the prime minister told the delegation that work on the project would start in May next year. When asked about NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani's visit to Chitral, the MNA said that Mr Durrani was scheduled to visit the area on Nov 29 but due to bad weather he had to cancel the trip.

"Now he has promised to visit the valley on Dec 6," he added. During his visit, "we would urge him to announce aid for rebuilding the houses destroyed or damaged by the storm and Rs100,000 each for the families of those killed."

The Maulana said that the chief minister would also be requested to upgrade the Chitral Degree College to post-graduate level. He opposed a proposal to set up a customs checkpoint in the district, saying the people of Chitral would never let anyone establish such a post.