Settlement of dispute between tribes good news for Diamer-Bhasha dam: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that settlement has been made in the 10-year dispute between the Thor and Harban tribes, Geo News reported.

Taking to his official Twitter account, the premier said that the move will pave the way in the developments of the Diamer-Bhasha dam, adding that the settlement will allow the completion of the dam "smoothly".

"Historic [development and] good news on Diamer-Bhasha dam. Grand Jirga of Diamer and Upper Kohistan elders have settled decade old Thor and Harban tribes' dispute," he wrote. "This will allow smooth [and] timely completion of the dam as well as pave way for settlement of boundary dispute between GB and KP,"

According to the APP correspondent in Gilgit, the dispute had claimed lives of seven people in 2014. Later, a jirga was formed in December 2020 to resolve this territorial dispute between the Harban area of Kohistan (KP)and the Thore area of Diamer (G-B).

The announcement was made by Thor-Herban grand jirga, mandated for settlement of the dispute, at a ceremony held on Tuesday at the Diamer-Basha dam project site. The grand jirga comprised of 13 members each from Diamer district of Gilgit Baltistan and Upper Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including elders and religious scholars which had a series of detailed deliberations during the last two years.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is constructing Diamer-Bhasha dam project on river Indus, which is scheduled to be completed in 2028-29.