HARIPUR: Work on the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project resumed here on Monday after remaining suspended for five days, official sources and police said.

The Chinese construction company, PCCCL, which has been contracted to do the civil work of the powerhouse, formally called its workers back to duty by SMSes, according to sources at the Tarbela Dam.

Ghazi sub-divisional police officer Ghazi Raja Mohammad Bashir Khan confirmed the development.

He told Dawn that security checks had been increased at the 1530 megawatts project’s site, residential areas of the Chinese, and their travel routes as per the revised security protocols in line with the orders of authorities.

When contacted, general secretary of the Awami Labor Union at T5 project Aslam Adil also said the Chinese company had asked all 2500-plus workers to resume their duties.

Chinese company also asks workers of Diamer-Bhasha Dam to return to duty

He said the workers were “laid off” on March 26 following a suicide attack on a Chinese convoy in Shangla district.

“Now, things have returned to normal, with both Chinese and Pakistani workers busy with their assignments amid heightened security,” he said.

Mr Adil said work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam would also resume on Tuesday as the PCCCL executing the project had asked all workers to return to work.

The Shangla suicide attack left five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver dead.

In July 2021, a similar bus attack near the site of the Dasu hydropower project killed 13 passengers, including nine Chinese nationals, and injured 23.

Two of the 12 suspected attackers — Mohammad Hussain and Mohammad Ayaz — were convicted of terrorism by the trial court. They’re detained in the Haripur Central Prison, with their appeals against conviction pending with the Peshawar High Court.

Four suspects arrested by the counter-terrorism department were acquitted, while five were absconders at the time.

Officials said the T5 project being executed, meant for irrigation of the gigantic Tarbela dam, was scheduled to start generating 1530 megawatts of electricity in May 2026.

They said the powerhouse would consist of three units meant to generate 510mw each.

The officials said the project would produce 1347GWh energy annually and create massive employment opportunities.

THREE INJURED IN FIRING: Two motorcyclists and a passerby suffered bullet wounds when a police party and two suspects exchanged fire near the Khanpur police station here on Monday afternoon.

Police claimed that the motorcyclists were cautioned to stop but they fled and opened fire at a police party.

According to Khanpur police, SHO Khanpur Khalid Khan was on duty with his force near a picket in front of Khanpur police station when two motorcyclists appeared from a street and when the police party signalled them to stop, they sped away opening fire at the police. However none of the policeman was injured but a passerby suffered bullet wounds.

The injured was identified as Noman Khan of Kotehra village. When the police returned fire, two suspects were injured. They were identified asRehan and Ali. The injured were shifted to Trauma centre for treatment. The police have however failed to share the criminal history of the injured suspects so far.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2024