GILGIT, Dec 30: Public representatives have opposed Skardu or Bhasha dam plans as the construction will destroy the historical monuments and cultural heritage of the region.

In a joint statement, Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) members Imran Nadeem, Haji Abdul Quddus and Hafiz Hafizur Rehman said that they would offer the strongest possible resistance in case people of the area were not taken into confidence over the construction of the proposed dams which were located in the territorial limits of the Northern Areas.

They said that construction of Bhasha dam would inundate the whole Chilas city of Diamer district, whereas the Skardu dam would wipe out the thickly populated city of Skardu and its cultural heritage and disturb the environmental and fragile ecosystem.

They said that the constitutional status of the Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan) is yet to be determined and do not fall in the constitutional ambit of Pakistan. Therefore, they said, it should be settled before construction of dams in the region so that the issues royalty and compensation could be settled in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan’s article 161.

They deplored that the people of Northern Areas were never made part of the discussion on dams despite the fact that at least eight main rivers and hundreds of water streams directly contributed to the Indus river.

They said that the voice of the people of Northern Areas was seldom heard in the power corridors because the region had no representation in the National Assembly and Senate.

They said the proposed site of Bhasha dam was controversial as it fell in the jurisdiction of Diamer district of the Northern Areas but some vested interests wished to name it Bhasha just to claim royalty and compensation.

The legislators urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf to visit the Northern Areas and take people of the area into confidence on the construction of proposed Bhasha and Skardu dams.