Suki Kinari project affectees stage rally

MANSEHRA : The affectees of the 880 megawatts Suki Kinari Hydropower project took to the streets to demand the price of their land acquired for the mega energy project being built in Kaghan valley.

"The district administration has acquired over 1662 kanals of land and over 484 houses but we are still deprived of the compensation amount of our property," Tanveer Hussain Shah told the protesters in Balakot on Saturday.

The protesters raised slogans in support of their demands, saying that the land and houses were acquired for the mega energy projects some three years ago but most of the landowners were still deprived of compensation. "The government has also deducted 10 percent tax from those who were paid the compensation amount," Shah said.

Speaking on the occasion, another affectee, Riaz Hussain Shah, said that the owners of as many as 462 houses were still without compensation.

He said that affectees had met with Chief Minister Mahmood khan and apprised him of their problems but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) disgruntled group is going to hold a public gathering here today (Sunday).

"All is set for our group's public gathering as we want to tell the people that political parties are deviated of their ideology and awarded tickets only to the blue-eyed of lawmakers and senators in Mansehra and rest of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," Dr Ashfaq Tanoli, candidate for tehsil mayor's slot, told reporters.