MANSEHRA: The Balakot tehsil council on Friday announced that the survivors of the 2005 earthquake in tehsil’s red zone won’t abandon their prefabricated shelters on their land after allotment of plots in the New Balakot City Housing Project.

The announcement comes after the government has begun handing over the allotment letters for plots in the New Balakot City to the earthquake survivors.

During a session of the council chaired by convener Liaquat Khassana, the members claimed that the allotment letters suggested that the quake survivors had to leave their land in red zone to claim plots in Bakrial area.

Councillors object to New Balakot City plot allotment policy

They said the calamity-hit families won’t abandon their land and prefabricated structures installed on them.

“The people of Balakot will never leave the red zone even if plots are allotted to them in the New Balakot City Housing Project,” tehsil nazim Ibrahim Shah said.

He said the New Balakot City plots were the basic right of earthquake survivors and the government should clarify why it awarded plots against their houses in Balakot.

The councillors also supported the demands of the people affected by 860 megawatts Suki Kanari hydropower project and warned if the government didn’t meet those demands, they would join them in protest scheduled to be held on March 20.

Mr Khassana said the people of Balakot tehsil wanted royalty in the energy project being executed in Kaghan valley under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

He also demanded market rate for the land being acquired for the project.

LOUDSPEAKERS BANNED: The Oghi police have banned the use of loudspeakers in mosques except for azan and Friday sermon.

During a meeting in Oghi on Friday, DSP Mohammad Bashir urged religious scholars of various schools of thought to cooperate with the police for maintaining religious harmony and law and order.

He warned that the clerics violating the National Action Plan on security would be dealt with strictly.

Mr Bashir said religious scholars should show tolerance towards each other to ensure peace.

The religious scholars assured the police of support and cooperation in maintaining peace in the tehsil.

DISPUTE CLAIMS LIFE: A man was killed by his cousin over a business dispute in Bandi Bala area of Mansehra district on Thursday night.

Wazir Mohammad Tanoli named Jehanzeb Tanoli as killer of his son, Mohammad Shafiq, in the FIR.

He alleged that his son was killed on the orders of PTI district councillor Rafiq Tanoli and his elder brother and Bahrain-based businessman Khan Mohammad Tanoli.

The local police said they had arrested Jehanzeb Tanoli and had begun conducting raids to hold other suspects.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2018