Suki dam land owners stage protest in Kaghan

MANSEHRA: The affectees of 870 megawatts Suki Kanari Hydropower Project Saturday blocked the Kaghan road for several hours to demand market price for the land being acquired for the project.

“We are not against construction of the hydropower project but want market price for our land. We will forcibly halt work on the project if we are not given the market rate,” Syed Qasim Shah, the ex-federal minster told the protesters.

Protesters assembled at Paris area in Kaghan valley and blocked Balakot-Naran section of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road to traffic for many hours.

The protesters were also raising slogans in support of their demands. “We have been striving for attaining our rights which are being snatched by government,” said Qasim Shah.

He said that the affected landowners wanted market price of their land being acquired for the project, employment opportunities and free supply of electricity to the locals. Speaking on the occasion, nazim village council Bonja Mohammad Ishaq said that the government should hold talks with the committee constituted unanimously for the purpose, otherwise people would not allow anybody to execute the project.

Deputy Commissioner Mansehra Iqbal Hussain, when contacted, said that the price would be fixed according to the market rate.

“I want to make it clear to all those taking law into their own hands interrupting the smooth execution of the project that price is under law and market and they should avoid creating law and order situation,” said the DC.

He said that a consortium of Chinese and Pakistani companies were involved in building of dam under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and administration would not allow any body to create law and order.