Delay in plots allotment: Earthquake victims threaten to stage protest

MANSEHRA: The survivor families of 2005 devastating earthquake have announced to block the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road on October 8 to protest against the prolonged delay in the allotment of plots at the New Balakot city housing project.

“We will block the road to all sort of traffic on the 16th anniversary of the devastating earthquake as New Balakot city housing project, which was launched to settle survivors in 2006, can’t be completed even after 15 years of its groundbreaking,” Rajab Ali, the former nazim of Balakot, told a meeting attended largely by the former local government’s representatives, residents and traders on Saturday.

Rajab Ali said that the rulers were responsible for such a delay in the development and allotment of plots to survivor families still settled in the red zone.

“We have still been living in the makeshift shelters after 16 years of that unmatched tragedy of the recent past,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Noor Hussain, president of traders’ body, said that around 5000 shelters were donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to survivor families and they were still living in those prefabricated houses.

Mian Ashraf, president of a body of survivor families, said that the local lawmakers were also not sincere with survivor families settled in the red zone.

“We would block the road in Balakot until our demands are met and plots are allotted to survivor families living in the makeshift houses,” Ashraf said.