MANSEHRA, Dec 11: Hundreds of survivors of Oct 8, 2005 earthquake held a protest rally here the other day against delay in allotment of plots in the New Balakot City.

“The federal government should clarify its position about New Balakot City project as more than seven years have passed since the devastating earthquake but survivors are still awaiting allotment of plots,” Mian Ashraf, the chairman of action committee of survivors, told the rally in Balakot.

The residents of red zone in Balakot marched from Ayub Bridge to the office of deputy superintendent of police to lodge their protest against delay in allotment of plots. They were chanting slogans against Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) and federal government.

“We have been facing enormous hardships in our two-room shelter houses for the last seven years but instead of addressing our problems Erra is creating hardships for us by issuing statements about scrapping New Balakot City project,” the protesters said.

They said that they would die but would not allow Erra to scrap the project, which was meant only for the residents of red zone in Balakot as they lost everything in the earthquake seven years ago.

The protesters alleged that the funds meant for quake-hit areas were diverted to Multan and Larkana for development projects.

They threatened to block Kaghan Road on Friday for indefinite period if government didn’t clarify its position regarding the allotment of plots to them at New Balakot City.

TEACHERS: The local teachers took to streets here the other day to demand basic pay scale for senior science and primary schoolteachers in accordance with the time scale formula.

“The Sindh, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir governments have awarded basic pay scale to senior science and primary schoolteachers in accordance with the time scale formula but teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are still waiting for it,” said Khalid Zaman, the district president of All Teachers Association.

Addressing the protesting teachers, who assembled outside press club after marching through various roads, he said that they had been struggling for their rights for the last many years but government didn’t pay heed to their demands.

Other office-bearers of the association including Raja Wajid Ali, Lateef Khan Swati, Wahiduzzaman Khan, Hamid Khan, Mubarkzeb Swati and Jamil Qureshi also addressed the rally.

They said that teachers would continue their protest until their demands were met by the provincial government. They threatened to hold a protest demonstration outside Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar if their demands were not accepted.