Hazara Motorway landowners stage protest

MANSEHRA: The affectees of Hazara Motorway in Shanai Bala on Saturday blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in protest against non-payment of their land prices and delay in completion of link roads, upper and under passes.

The protesters, who blocked the strategic KKH to traffic for over an hour, raised slogans in support of their demands.

“The government has acquired our land for Hazara Motorway project. But now neither our land prices are being paid nor links roads are being built,” Zafar Iqbal told the reporters.

“We want an immediate building of overhead bridges, under passes and links roads so that we could manage our day-to-day life,” Mohammad Bashir said.

He said that they wanted market prices of their land acquired for strategic road being built under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor but they were still deprived of their money.

The protesters dispersed peacefully following Additional Assistant Commissioner Khurram Rehman Jadoon and Deputy Superintendent of Police Raja Mehboob rushed to scene along with heavy contingent of police and held talks with protesters.

He assured the elders that the district government would share their problems with high-ups in federal government.