MANSEHRA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has constituted a committee to look into the non-payment of compensation to the owners of over 460 houses affected by the Suki Kanari hydropower project in Kaghan valley.

Special assistant to the chief minister on population Ahmad Hussain Shah told reporters here on Thursday that the probe panel’s formation was decided during a recent meeting of the representatives of Balakot resident with the chief minister in the latter’s office.

He said the district administration had acquired 462 houses for the 880 megawatts Suki Kanari project but their owners had yet to be compensated.

Mr Shah said those project victims would meet commissioner Mutahir Zeb before the launch of the inquiry by the latter. He said the chief minister had also assured the 2005 earthquake’s survivors in Balakot of an early allotment of plots in the New Balakot City housing project.

The CM’s aide said the chief minister also announced the immediate up-gradation of Balakot high schools for boys and girls and early appointment of staff to them.

Also in the day, the police busted an inter-provincial gang of car thieves and seized 10 stolen vehicles and motorcycles here.

District police officer Sajjad Khan told reporters that Mohammad Mazhar, Ramzan Nazeer, Fazlur Rehman and Kashif Ali were arrested by the car lifting cell. He said the arrested men used to sell stolen vehicles across the country on fake documents.

The DPO said the recovered vehicles and motorcycles were handed over to their respective owners.

He said the police had planned to establish a mobile phone forensic lab to trace people involved in cyber and other crimes.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2022