MANSEHRA: The district administration has imposed Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, banning the sale, purchase and transfer of land to be acquired for the Balakot hydropower project.

“We have already met all legal formalities to acquire over 1,700 kanals of land for the Rs85 billion Balakot power project in Kaghan valley and this process will be completed shortly,” deputy commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan told energy minister Himayatullah Khan here on Tuesday.

Led by the minister and having energy secretary Mohammad Zubair as member, a delegation of the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation, which is executing the project, visited the project site afterward.

The deputy commissioner said the Balakot hydropower plant would be built downstream of the Suki Kanari hydropower project being executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative on the Kunhar River in Kaghan valley.

“The ban on the sale, purchase or transfer of the land being acquired for the Balakot dam is imposed to expedite land acquisition process,” he said.

The energy secretary said the Balakot project to be completed at the cost of Rs85 billion would help meet power shortfall in the province.

THREE KILLED: Three people lost life in different incidents here on Tuesday.

Mohammad Dildar shot at his estranged wife at her parents’ home in Shatay area but the bullet hit Mohammad Shafaat injuring him seriously.

The injured died on the way to the hospital. In another incident, Mohammad Shimraz was killed after a pickup vehicle overturned on the Karakoram Highway in Ghazikot area here.

Also, Mohammad Sajid opened fire at Mohammad Munawar after they had heated exchanges over an issue. The injured was shifted to a local hospital.

The police registered a case and began search for the gunman, who fled after the incident.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2021