MANSEHRA: Landowners of Kohistan have warned they will forcibly stop work on the 4200 megawatts Dasu hydropower project today (Sunday) if their demands on the land being acquired for the project and payments are not met.

“We have extended the deadlines of stopping work on dams and its related projects but even then our nine genuine demands are not met yet. Now we are left with no option but to halt work on dam by force,” Action Committee of Landowners member Raja Mohammad Arif told a jirga in Barseen area of Kohistan on Saturday.

Other members of the committee formed to take up the issues in question with the relevant authorities were also in attendance.

Mr. Arif, who presided over the event, warned Wapda and district administration should stop work on the dam site and roads being constructed to link Karakoram Highway with it otherwise landowners would forcibly do it.

Insist admin not meeting their demands on land acquisition, payments

“If the government doesn’t hold talks with committee over the nine points mutually agreed upon earlier by Oct 23, we will widen our action and block the Karakoram Highway to claim right,” he said.

The participants said they won’t allow construction and survey related to Dasu dam on their land.

Mr. Arif told them that in the Oct 14 meeting with the committee members, Kohistan deputy commissioner Mushtaq Ahmad had promised to take up the matter with the relevant federal authorities.

He insisted Wapda and federal government had agreed that the land to be acquired for the project would be placed in C category and that payment for buildup property on it would be made in accordance with the fresh schedule.

The committee member claimed Wapda hadn’t made payments for the land occupied and houses razed by it despite commitment.

He said landowners were ready for talks on the matter.

RALLY HELD: The visually impaired people and civil society activists on Saturday took out a rally to mark the White Cane Safety Day.

The rally began from outside the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital and ended outside the press club building after passing through various roads.

“We want reserved seats for ourselves (visually impaired people) in the upper and lower houses of parliament, provincial assemblies and local governments,” said Mohammad Bilal, chairman of the Right to Live Organisation working for people with disabilities.

Mr. Bilal said the issues facing people with disabilities could be effectively addressed if they’d representatives in parliament and assemblies.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2016