MINGORA: The residents of Swat have threatened to resist renaming of Saidu Sharif Airport.

Showing concerns over the resolution moved by MNA Mussarat Ahmadzeb to name the airport after Maj Gen Sanaullah Khan Niazi, they said that local people did not support it.

“Saidu Sharif remained the capital of Swat state and entails a historical background. The present name of Saidu Sharif Airport is perfect so we don’t support any move to rename it,” said Usman Ulasyar, head of Suvastu Arts and Culture Association.

The local people said that government should name a new project after Maj Gen Sanuallah Khan Niazi in Swat instead of renaming old buildings.

Urge govt to launch new development schemes in militancy-hit area

“I am really surprised by the move to rename the non-functional airport. First of all the government must make the airport functional and there is nothing wrong with its present name. Saidu Sharif is historical name and we love it there is no need to rename it,” said Amjad Ali, a social activist in Mingora.

The residents of the area said the MNA should announce new projects in the militancy-hit Swat instead of renaming buildings. “We don’t know from where the MNA got this idea and moved the resolution,” said Niaz Ahmad Khan, a resident of Wateky Mingora.

Ihsan Ali, another social activist, said that during the military operation everyone would claim that mega projects would be initiated in Swat completion of the operation. He said that no development project was launched in Swat after restoration of peace.

The resolution for renaming Saidu Sharif Airport as Maj Gen Sanuallah Khan Niazi Airport was moved by MNA Mussarat Ahamdzeb on Tuesday in the National Assembly. The resolution was adopted unanimously.

LAND GRABBERS: Hundreds of residents of Akhun Baba here on Thursday accused some influential people of the area of grabbing their ancestral lands.

Addressing a press conference, they said that the land grabbers wanted to evict them from their houses in Akhun Baba area. Led by Bakht Wali, Abdul Jabbar, and Mohammad Saleem, the residents of the area demanded of the authorities to ensure provision of justice to them. “We have been living in our homes, inherited by our ancestors for long time but the influential land grabbers want to forcefully evict us from our own lands by presenting fake documents about the ownership of the lands,” they said.

They said that an official report conducted by Swat district administration in 2007 had declared all those decrees with the influential land mafia as fake and were termed as acquired through illegal means.

They said that an inquiry report in 2007 had also accused revenue department of preparing fake documents to help the land grabbers. They alleged that higher authorities were also supporting the land grabbers.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2016