Opp parties observe ‘black day,’ reject shelving road project

TIMERGARA: The opposition parties here on Saturday observed ‘black day,’ and staged a protest against the shelving of Chakdara-Dir-Chitral route from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Lower Dir chapter had arranged a protest at Timergara.

The workers and leaders of all opposition parties, traders, lawyers and civil society members wore black armbands to express their anger for dropping the project.

JI Lower Dir chief Aizazul Mulk Afkari, former MNA and chief of Dir Qaumi Jirga Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, PPP Lower Dir president and former provincial minister Nawabzada Mehmood Zeb Khan, former provincial minister Bakht Baidar Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Lower Dir amir Maulana Sirajuddin and Qazi Ayazuddin, ANP Lower Dir general secretary Malik Muhammad Zeb, Timergara Traders Union President Anwaaruddin, PML-N leader Malik Jehanzeb, former president

District Bar Association Timergara Jehan Bahader Advocate and Malik Sher Bahadur spoke on the occasion.

They said that the previous PML-N government had approved Chakdara-Dir-Chitral CEPEC route and even funds for construction of the project had been allocated but the PTI government dropped the project compromising on the rights of 50 million residents of Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir and Bajaur districts.

They alleged that the provincial government’s announcement to construct a motorway was meant to hoodwink the people and to create suspicions in their minds.

The speakers demanded the restoration of Chakdara-Dir-Chitral CPEC route.

The speakers announced to continue protests till the restoration of the approved CPEC route for the region.

They threatened to block the Swat highway at Chakdara and to besiege the Parliament House in Islamabad if their demand was not met.