Swat Expressway Project: Elders announce protest movement against use of agri land

MINGORA: The elders on Tuesday announced to launch a protest movement against the government’s decision to build the Expressway Phase-II on agricultural lands in Swat.

Speaking at a jirga at Charbagh area in Swat, the elders said they were not against the construction of the motorway but it should be built along the bank of the Swat River.

Former district nazim Muhammad Ali Shah, Qaimoos Khan, Mukhtiar Yousafzai, Khursheed Kaka Jee, Naveed Iqbal, Dr Amjad Ali, Muhammad Zeb Khan, Abdul Wakeel and others spoke at the jirga.

They said the provincial government imposed Section 4 on their fertile lands.

“We have asked the authorities to build the proposed motorway on the bank of the river,

which would help protect the fertile lands from floods, and would provide a beautiful landscape to the travellers,” said Muhammad Ali Shah.

He added the local people expected the chief minister to heed the grievances of the residents of Swat.

Muhammad Zeb Khan, a local leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, complained that the government did not bother to provide proper compensation to the land owners.

“A democratic government consults the people but this government is worse than a dictatorship that wants to impose its decisions on the people,” said, Mukhtiar Yousafzai, provincial president of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.

Abdul Wakeel Khan, a local leader of Awami National Party, added that the people of Swat valley should take to the streets against the government.