SKARDU, July 8 Dozens of government contractors on Wednesday blocked the Khaplu Highway in protest against cancellation of contracts by the chief engineer Baltistan Division.

They gathered in front of the PWD office in Khaplu, headquarters of Ghanche district, and blocked the road for three hours by burning tyres.

The protesters after assurance of the deputy commissioner withdrew their protest demonstration. Talking to Dawn, contractors Abdul Karim and Ali Shaheen said that 55 contractors had got contracts of various developmental schemes in Ghanche through proper process but later the chief engineer cancelled the tenders without any reason.

Later, a meeting of government contractors from Ghanche was held in Khaplu. The participants of the meeting passed a resolution in which they said that the tenders of different development schemes held from June 5 to June 13 in Khaplu had been opened by executive engineer roads and buildings, PWD, Ghanche in front of district magistrate by completing all legal and formal formalities. Thus the cancellation was unjust.

Meanwhile, Secretary Works Gilgit-Baltistan Nasir Shigri has claimed that the tenders had been opened without approving the estimated costs due to which the chief engineer had to recall them.

TRADE ROUTES The Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement has said that the government should take immediate measures to reopen the old trade routes from Skardu to Kargil, Ishkoman to Tajikistan and Astor to Srinagar and Khaplu to Ladakh so that the backward region could economically progress.