May 24, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 07, 1428

ISLAMABAD, May 23: The traders of Balakot have threatened to block the Karakoram Highway (KKH) on June 4 and observe complete shutter-down strike in protest to what they termed apathy of the government towards their grievances.

They complained that the rehabilitation of Balakot — devastated by the October 8, 2005 earthquake — was being suffered due to the dullness of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), provincial and district governments.

Mohammad Asif, president of the All Traders Association Balakot, told Dawn by telephone that the NWFP’s provincial and Mansehra’s district governments had promised that they would raise the issue of business rehabilitation in the area with President Gen Pervez Musharraf during his visit to the area.

“But during the president’s visit to Mansehra on Sunday, they did not even made a mention to our (traders) problems,” he said.

Mr Asif claimed that the Erra high-ups had blocked a USAID programme of financial aid to the traders to rehabilitate their businesses when the deed was finalised.

He alleged that the government had provided relief to the Zarai Taraqiati Bank loan-defaulters to the tune of Rs320 million but not even a penny was provided to the businessmen in the name of relief to enable them restore their businesses.