Balakot residents announce agitation over New Balakot City issue

MANSEHRA: People of Balakot have announced a series of protests against both the federal and provincial governments, which what they said were not serious in developing New Balakot City meant to settle earthquake survivors of red zone Balakot and Garlat.

“We have staged sit-in outside the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  Chairman Imran Khan in Islamabad but to no avail. Now we will launch agitation against the federal and provincial governments which failed to honour commitments with survivors of Balakot,” stated Mian Mohammad Ashraf, the chairman of action committee of survivors of the red zone, while speaking to media after a meeting on Monday.

Earlier, the committee meeting, attended largely by residents of Garlat and Balakot areas, decided to hold a protest rally against the delay in the execution of New Balakot City Project being developed to settle survivors of red zone with the estimated cost of Rs13 billion.

Ashraf said people of Balakot were living a miserable life in makeshift shelters since the devastating earthquake hit Balakot on October 8, 2005 but New Balakot City Project, which was started in 2007, was still in the doldrums.

“We are going to hold
a protest rally on January 15 and then organise sit-in outside Parliament House to compel governments to play their role in completion of the project,” said Ashraf.

He said that work on New Balakot City Project, which was suspended about three years ago, could not be restarted as land acquired for the project was not got vacated by the district administration.