Kohistan elders ask Wapda to accept demands

MANSEHRA: A jirga of elders in Kohistan on Wednesday gave a three-day deadline to the Wapda to accept their demands or else they would forcibly suspend work on the Dasu Hydropower Project.

“The Muttahida Jirga, having representations from all three districts of Kohistan, has decided to forcibly stop the work on the dam, if our demands are not accepted within the next three days,” Maulana Abdul Hakeem, an elder told reporters in Dasu, the headquarters of Upper Kohistan.

Kohistan Muttahida Jirga earlier in the day met to decide its future strategy to force Wapda to accept their charter of demands.“This time around we will get the execution of the dam suspended first and then indulge in talks with the Wapda. If Wapda chairman is sincere in addressing our issues, he should come forward and announce to address all our issues,” Maulana Hakeem said.

Maulana Abdul Aziz, another elder, said that the jirga had demanded that the district administration extend the period of section-IV imposed for the acquisition of land from 2017 to 2024 and pay compensation of houses and property to the affected families.

“All those agreements signed between Wapda and affected families in 2016 should be honoured and every married couple should be included in the Kitchen compensation package,” he added.Maulana Waliullah Tohidee, an elder, said the compensation money paid to affected families under this package should be enhanced from existing Rs3.5 million to Rs4.7 million each.