MANSEHRA: Water and Power Development Authority has finalised arrangements to transfer Rs4 billion to Upper Kohistan district administration’s account to clear outstanding payments for over 18,000 kanals of land acquired for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The Wapda chairman held discussions with a delegation from Harban Bhasha and announced immediate resolution of all outstanding issues faced by the affected people of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Upper Kohistan,” Asadullah Qureshi, chairman of Harban Bhasha tehsil council, told reporters the other day.

He said that Wapda chairman Lt-Gen retired Sajjad Ghani met with a committee representing the affected people of Harban Bhasha the other day and announced redressal of all outstanding issues, which had prompted a two-week-long sit-in along the Karakoram Highway earlier this month.

“The chairman announced the transfer of Rs4 billion to the district administration’s account, which will be distributed among the landowners of Harban Bhasha, which is located between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan,” Qureshi said.

Authority to also build hospital in Upper Kohistan, tehsil chairman says

The tehsil chairman, who led the delegation during their meeting with the Wapda chairman at the China Camp in Upper Kohistan, confirmed that all seven demands of the affected people had been accepted.

“Wapda will also construct a tehsil headquarters hospital, a complex for offices, and a higher secondary school following the issuance of no-objection certificates by the departments of health, local government and education,” Mr Qureshi said.

He further said that the Wapda chairman agreed to install a potable water supply scheme that would transport water from a distance of 10 kilometres to serve the residents of Aushgardas area. “Wapda will also build a turbine to supply electricity to the residents of Harban Bhasha as per an agreement reached between the authority and the landowners,” Mr Qureshi said.

HOUSE GUTTED: A house was gutted and gold ornaments, household goods and cash were reduced to ashes in a fire in Hari Mera area of Khaki village council here the other day.

Locals rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire after hectic efforts of over an hour.

The police said no loss of life was reported as the inmates fled to safety.

Shahnaz Bibi, while lodging an FIR with the Khaki police station, alleged that her enemies had set her house on fire.

She said that currency notes worth Rs500,000, gold ornaments, furniture, and other household goods were reduced to ashes. Ms Bibi urged the police to ensure swift arrest of all those named in the FIR to dispense her family with justice.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024