PESHAWAR, Jan 28: People of Bhasha, Kohistan district, have demanded that the government should take them into confidence on the construction of Bhasha dam. Speaking at a press conference at the press club on Saturday, NWFP Revenue Minister Maulana Asmatullah, Kohistan District Nazim Dr Saifur Rehman, former minister Malik Mian Noor and other notables of the area said Bhasha village was located in the Kohistan district of the NWFP and not in Diamer. They said the village was manned by Frontier police.

They said people of Northern Areas could not demand any profit from the power generated from Bhasha dam.

They regretted that the minister of state for water and power did not consult them during his visit to Chalas, Kohistan.

They asked the centre not to fuel a controversy over the issue and said the NWFP government should not surrender its right over profit from the project.

They said people of Kohistan were in favour of construction of the dam but their legal and constitutional rights should be upheld.