MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 7: The leader of the opposition in AJK assembly and Azad Kashmir People’s Party president, Barrister Sultan Mahmood, has strongly opposed the Water and Power Development Authority’s proposed plan to raise the height of Mangla Dam.

“People of Mirpur do not want upraising of Mangla Dam and if you ask me I am also against the proposed move because I also fall in the category of affectees,” he told Dawn before leaving for Mirpur on Wednesday.

Reports emanating from Islamabad suggest that the federal government may launch the upraising project from Aug 14.

The anti dam expansion committee is holding a rally in Chaksawari (district Mirpur) on Thursday and Mr Mahmood told he would be among the speakers at the gathering.

“There is no justification for raising the height, particularly when many other alternatives, such as de-silting of the reservoir to expand its storage capacity and construction of smaller dams, are available,” he said, adding a Chinese company had also offered de-silting of the dam at much less cost.

The AJKPP chief said around 100,000 people would be directly displaced with the implementation of the proposed plan.

“And if you count the expatriate members of the would-be-affected families, the number of displaced persons will go as high as 400,000,” he said.

He said the affectees of the initial construction (of Mangla dam) had not yet been properly compensated and it was unjust to dislodge more people.

The former AJK premier criticized the Sardar Sikandar led government for its “dilemma” on the issue, and accused the Prime Minister of aggravating the problem.

“Sardar Sikandar has confused the issue. He has agreed (for extension) before the Wapda but when he takes otherwise stand during his visits to Mirpur.”

Mr Mahmood, who recently skipped a meeting with Federal Kashmir Affairs minister on this issue and left for United Kingdom for a brief visit, said there was much resentment and unrest among the Kashmiri expatriates, majority of whom comes from Mirpur division, due to the proposed execution of the “disputed project.”

“They (expatriates) have threatened to offer strong resistance if the project is executed and they can go to any extent to express their indignation,” he said.

He claimed that the AJK president had deferred his visit to the United Kingdom from Thursday due to very reason.

The AJKPP chief was of the view that the issue (of upraising) should not even be discussed till the elections India planned to hold in occupied Kashmir in October because it could send a wrong message to the people across the Line of Control.

Asked if Pakistan People’s Party voted to power in the forthcoming elections, would drop the plan, he replied that he had not spoken with any party leader (in Pakistan) on the issue.

“Azad Kashmir Peoples Party has passed a resolution against the extension of the dam and I don’t think they (PPP) will go against us,” he said.

“At the moment we are fully concentrating on campaigning for our party in Pakistan,” he said.

He said his recent meeting with PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto in London was also aimed at seeking guidelines for launching campaign among Kashmiri circles in Pakistan for the party candidates.

“I am a good campaigner and will work along with my team to get maximum support for our party in the coming poll,” he said.

The AJKPP leader asserted that PPP’s vote bank was intact which would be vindicated by the polls, if held without any manipulation.

“National interest demands that the polls should be free and fair. The military regime must bear in mind that if the elections were not fair, India will cash in on the situation to justify sham polls in occupied Kashmir,” he warned.