Elders oppose construction of Khwazakhela-Shangla Expressway

MINGORA: The elders and notables from different parts of Swat on Saturday asked the government not to build Khwazakhela-Shangla Expressway on agricultural lands of the area.

Addressing a press conference at Swat Press Club here, the local elders including Mukhtar Yousafzai, Ahmad Shah, Khurshid KAKA G, Khwaja Khan and others demanded also demanded that Swat Expressway phase II should be built along the bank of river Swat and not in the orchards of the locals.

They said that the authorities concerned must take the land owners into confidence before taking any vital decision in this regard.

“Swat has limited land where the locals earn their bread and butter from orchards and agriculture land. The government should build the link roads and motorways on the bank of the river in the mountain areas instead of settled areas,” said Mukhtar Yousafzai, a local leader, adding that they also wanted the development of the area and were not against motorways and link roads.

“The investors should spend more money to build it on the river bank, which would provide beautiful landscape to the visitors and would add additional safety to the agricultural land,” said Zahid Khan. He added that the previous flood has damaged three million kanal of land and land erosion has caused billions of losses to the local farmers.

The elders threatened that if their demands were not addressed, they would come out on the streets and roads and would start agitation against the authorities.