MANSEHRA: The federal government on Friday paid Rs678 million as compensation to the people of Upper Kohistan whose land was acquired for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam.

“This is a great day as, following the settlement of the boundary issue between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, the land compensation money is being paid to landowners,” Azizullah Jan, the Upper Kohistan Deputy Commissioner, told a cheque distribution ceremony held in the Bashidad area.

Members of the Thor-Harban jirga, comprising representatives from KP and GB tribes, officials of Wapda and the district administration, local clerics, and elders from Upper Kohistan and Chilas (Diamer), attended the event.

Mr Jan, Diamer DC Mohammad Owais Abbasi, along with Wapda officials, handed over the cheques to the Thor-Harban jirga, which had settled the boundary dispute between KP and GB with the backing of the federal government in 2022.

Wapda official says Rs64bn paid so far

A Wapda official said Rs64 billion had so far been paid to the owners of 35,924 acres of land acquired for the dam from both the GB and KP sides.

AWARDS CONTROVERSY: People have accused the organisers of a controversial Fakhr-i-Hazara award event of fraud and deception.

“The Youth Leaders Parliament, which organised the event, fleeced money from hundreds of students of the Hazara University by promising to provide them transport to the venue of the event in Abbottabad and nominating them for the so-called awards,” Akram Saleem, a student of the varsity’s artificial intelligence department, told reporters on Friday.

The event, held at the Jalal Baba Auditorium on May 19, drew flak from people, who questioned how a group of TikTokers from the Youth Leaders Parliament could claim the authority to ‘honour or discredit’ the people of Hazara.

“The event organisers collected Rs5,000 from each student in the name of award nominations and Rs500 for transport and refreshments,” Mr Saleem said.

He said it was heartbreaking that hundreds of female students were allegedly cheated despite paying money.

In a press release, the Hazara University said it was not responsible for the mess that happened at the awards event, the denial of transport and refreshments, the selection of nominees, the distribution of awards and the collection of money.

Jan Mohammad Bangash, the organiser of Hazara Qaumi Mahaz, described the awards as a stunt to fleece money, questioning how a handful of TikTokers without knowledge of Hazara’s history could distribute so-called awards.

Kiran Ayub Tanoli, a lawyer, said that though she was the nominee of the Abbottabad district bar for the award, it went to another woman from a public sector department.

Hadia Khan, an office-bearer of Youth Leaders Parliament, who introduced herself as a director of the Fakhr-i-Hazara Award event, said the money matters were directly linked to one of the central organisers.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2026