Lower Kohistan residents want Wapda to honour agreement

MANSEHRA: Residents of Dubair and Ranowalia areas in Lower Kohistan on Friday blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH), seeking implementation of the agreement reached with the Wapda officials in 2022.

“The Wapda chairman had signed an agreement with us to reconstruct 28km Dubair road and 6km Ranowalia road in in 2022 but the groundbreaking of both arteries couldn’t take place as yet,” former provincial minister, Malik Aurangzeb, told protesters in the Dubair area.

The protesters raised slogans against Wapda and in support of their demands. “We have been in the streets for the last many days to lodge our protest, neither Wapda nor the government even visited us,” said Aurangzeb.

Speaking on the occasion, Malik Salahuddin said that the Wapda chairman had met with the Dubair Khawar Hydropower project’s affected families in 2022 and announced plans to reconstruct both arteries.

“The Wapda is also bound under that agreement to restore potable water supply schemes also washed away in the floods,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Dubair Bala village council chairman, Juma Shah Jallali, said that the Wapda should ensure the safety of residents settled downstream.“The commissioner has invited us for the talks in Abbottabad but we want him to hold such parleys with all stakeholders and affected families,” he said.