Earthquake, flood victims to launch protest

CHITRAL: Residents of Brep area in Mastuj tehsil in Chitral district have announced to launch a protest campaign over the government failure to provide compensation to the earthquake and flood affectees.

Scores of residents, including women and children, staged a protest rally. The protesters said that the floods and earthquake in 2015 had badly affected the infrastructure in their area. They said irrigation channels and several houses were either damaged or destroyed in the natural calamity in their area.

The residents asked the government to provide compensation to the affected families and requested the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to direct relevant authorities to release cheques to the affected farmers. They warned of launching a protest campaign if their demands were not met till May 5.

The protesters also threatened to restart cultivating poppy over the government failure to provide compensation to the affected families and rehabilitate the damaged infrastructure.