SWABI, Dec 15: People of several villages, including Chota Lahor, have opposed the provincial government’s plan to construct a mega city on their lands near the Kernel Sher Khan interchange on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway.

The local people have approached political leaders, including Qaumi Watan Party MPA Abdul Karim, demanding that their lands be excluded from the proposed project.

Paperwork for the mega city project has already completed and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government is all set to start work on the project, expected to spread over 40,000 kanal of land to be taken from areas located in Nowshera, Swabi and Mardan districts.

Former union council nazim of Chota Lahor east, Sher Aman Khan, told Dawn that Jalsai, Jalbai and Chota Lahor areas would be included in the project. “If the project is implemented then a large number of people would be deprived of their livelihood sources,” he said.

QWP lawmaker Abdul Karim told Dawn that people strongly opposed the idea and warned the government against executing the project.

“I would be the first person to lead the people’s protest if the government moves ahead to act against the wishes of the people who have no other source of living than their land,” he warned. He said that the government should not act against the wishes of the people.