MULTAN, July 7: Seraiki writers and poets have urged the Indians to raise voice against the construction of Baglihar dam on the River Chenab in held Kashmir.

The dam would convert a wide area of the Seraiki belt into desert and would worsen the already poor economical condition of people here, said Seraiki intellectuals and poets at a meeting held here on Sunday.

Prof Rifat Abbas told the gathering even though the talks on the issue were being held at the government level, but matters were politicised when they were handled at the state level.

He said Indian writers should raise the issue before Indian people about the economic fallout of the dam for the Seraikis.

Zahoor Dhareeja said due to government’s wrong policies, the Seraiki belt had lost its two rivers -- Sutlej and Bias -- that had been running in the area for thousand years and were the sign of prosperity. The Pakistan government, however, withdrew from the waters of both rivers thus damaging the economy of the Seraikis.

Journalist Suhail Baloch said if the Indian government was not ready to release water in the Sutlej and Bias rivers for human use, Indian people should force their government to release water for animals, birds and plants.

The meeting decided letters would be sent to Indian writers, poets, intellectuals and politicians to raise awareness among the Indian people to stop their government from ruining history and humanity of the Seraiki belt.