Sit-in staged to protest hiring in Tarbela Dam

HARIPUR: The residents of different villages and urban localities of Ghazi Tehsil on Monday staged a protest in support of their demands.

Hundreds of protesters, who were led by Irum Rasheed Khan aka Rimi Khan Tahirkheli, blocked the Ghazi-Tarbela Checkpost by staging sit-in. The movement of vehicles from and to the offices of Tarbela Dam and residential colonies remained suspended for over three hours.

Speaking on this occasion Ms Rimi Khan accused the Tarbela Dam authorities of hiring over three dozen employees both in the Water Wing and Powerhouse without any announcement or fulfilling the hiring procedures.

She said that the people of villages and urban localities had sacrificed their hundreds of acres of agricultural land and even the graves of their ancestors for Tarbela Dam and Ghazi-Brotha Power Project, but the dam administration had always ignored the locals in jobs which was against the funding conditions of World Bank.

The speaker said that the administration had allegedly preferred own favourites and those who greased their palms. Former candidate for national assembly Syed Farooq Shah also addressed the protesters and said that the protest would continue till the acceptance of their demands of fixing quota for the locals in future jobs and cancellation of all previous orders. A heavy contingent of local police stood alert for action as despite efforts the protesters refused to clear the road.