MANSEHRA: The law enforcement agencies took seven Afghan nationals into custody for staying illegally in the district during a search operation on Sunday.

“We have taken into custody five Afghan nationals from outside the district jail and two others from the refugee camp in the district,” said DSP Zulfiqar Khan Jadoon, when contacted.

He said that the law enforcement agencies conducted the house-to-house search operation around the district jail and took into custody five Afghan nationals. The security personnel also warned the residents not to provide shelter or house on rent to any outsider before prior verification through police. Two other Afghan suspects were also arrested because they were staying without legal documents in Ichrian Afghan refugee camp.

Mr Jadoon said that the arrested people were being investigated. He said that the search operation would continue, while action would also be taken against owners and tenets who had not furnished the relevant information in the nearby police station. He said that police was vigilant to cope with current situation and people should cooperate with them.

LAND FOR DAM: Scores of people whose land is being acquired for the construction of Suki Kinari hydropower project held a protest demonstration outside the press club here on Sunday and threatened to resist the project if they were not paid the market price for their land.

“The district administration has started acquiring land for Suki Kinari hydropower project after imposing Section 4. We will resist the move if prices of our land are not fixed according to the market rates,” said Anwar Shah, while speaking to the protesters.

“Our land is the only source of our livelihood and if this is taken for the project we would be deprived of our livelihood,” he said. Mr Shah said that they were aware of the energy crisis in the country and could think of selling their land, but the government should fix such rates which were acceptable to the landowners. 

The district administration would acquire the land for 870 MW SK hydropower project. The dam is being constructed between Naran and Kaghan in Balakot tehsil with an estimated cost of $1.2 billion. Mr Shah demanded job quota in the project for the local people and said that they should paid for their trees according to the market rates.

Published in Dawn December 22th , 2014