October 09, 2006	Monday	Ramazan 15, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: Quake-affected people from Kotli Sathian and Murree staged a demonstration in the federal capital and blocked Kashmir Road on Sunday against the government’s failure to provide them compensation.

The protesters walked from Masjid Shuhuda to Abpara Chowk to record their protest. A large contingent of security officials were also present during the event.

They also blocked the Kashmir road from one side and stopped the traffic.

The protesters had taken banners and placards on which they had scribed their demands: Where are the $6 billion donations?; stop discriminations with the quake affected people of Murree; Rs5,000 as compensation not acceptable; give the affected people Rs175,000 etc.

Member Punjab Assembly Raja Shafqar Abbasi addressed the protesters and said that a year has passed and so far the 7,000 affected people of Murree are still in the open without any helping hand.

“They are suffering without any help from the federal government. The Punjab government has also not fulfilled its promises of paying Rs20,000 to each affected person,” he added.

Mr Abbasi, who is also heading the action committee of the affected people, said that the areas of Pagwari, Potha, Rapol, Darya Gali, Bin, Charyan, Wagil, Blot Sathian and Kotli Sathian were affected badly on the devastating day of October 8, 2005.

He appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to consider his petition in this regard on priority basis.