MANSEHRA: People hit by the Dasu hydropower project in Suo tehsil of Upper Kohistan on Friday agreed to end their protest following successful talks with the district administration, which announced the reconstruction of schools and execution of a major water supply scheme in line with the agreements reached upon earlier.

“We have ended our sit-in after successful negotiations with the district administration, which has assured us that all our issues will be taken up with Wapda, the education department, and other relevant authorities for early resolution,” Maulana Waliullah Tohidee, local emir of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, told reporters.

Mr Tohidee led the protesters, while officials of the Dasu hydropower project, Wapda, education, police, and other departments were represented by Upper Kohistan deputy commissioner Khurram Rehman Jadoon during the marathon talks.

“Around 1,000 students have been deprived of education as their schools, located on the land acquired for the dam, were demolished for relocation, but the reconstruction of alternative school buildings has been delayed for several months,” Mr Tohidee said.

He added the protesters would approach the Wapda chairman to seek punitive action against officials responsible for the prolonged delay in the reconstruction of high, middle, and primary schools.

Mr Tohidee said an alternative road would also be constructed to connect Suo with the Karakoram Highway, as the existing artery remains blocked during morning and evening hours due to the movement of Chinese engineers and workers between their residential quarters and the dam’s work sites.

“Following the successful talks, the execution of the Kamila water supply scheme will be completed within the stipulated period, ensuring uninterrupted potable water supply to households,” the JUI-F leader said.

CRACKDOWN: The Upper Kohistan district administration on Friday launched a crackdown on local government employees for drawing salaries without performing their duties.

“The district administration has come to know that there are ghost employees in the local government department, who have been regularly receiving salaries, causing losses to the national exchequer,” Upper Kohistan deputy commissioner Khurram Rehman Jadoon told reporters.

He said through various sources, the district administration learned that several local government employees were not performing duties, particularly in the Suo subdivision.

“I have written to the assistant director local government and rural development department to immediately conduct a comprehensive inquiry and submit a report to my office, along with recommendations for action against 30 such employees,” Mr Jadoon said.

The deputy commissioner said the district administration would also launch similar crackdowns in the health, education, and other departments, warning that strict legal action would be taken if ghost employees were found.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2026