KNP condemn police action in Mirpur
Dr Shabir Choudhry 30 March 2009
KNP leaders Abbas Butt, Zubbair Ansari, Nazam Bhatti, Asim Mirza, Masoom Ansari, Mumtaz Mirza and Dr Shabir Choudhry have strongly condemned police action against peaceful demonstrators in Mirpur.
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Mirpur today against those responsible for upraising the Mangla dam and giving compensations. The police have used sticks and tear gas to disperse peaceful demonstration.
The Mangla Dam was constructed in Kashmiri territory of Mirpur 1967 by Pakistan to cater for water and energy needs of Pakistan. The local people were against the construction of the dam even at that time and they were not paid appropriate compensation. Most of the promises made to the people were not honoured.
Instead of building dams within Pakistan, WAPDA decided to upraise the Mangla dam. The local people once again protested against this but no one listened to them. Many people, especially leaders were silenced by ‘rewards’ and lucrative development plans for the area.
The work of the upraising is nearly complete, but people are still waiting for compensation and alternative towns and hamlets which the authorities promised to build for them. Apart from that other promises with regard to road and bridges are also not honoured and people are really angry against this let down.
Today the local people came out in large numbers to show their anger and to register their protest against the authorities, but the authorities had only tear gas and lathi charge beating (with sticks) to offer.
The KNP leaders demand that those responsible for once again letting people of Mirpur down must be made accountable; and that all the promises made by the authorities must be honoured. END
Writer is a Spokesman of Kashmir National Party, political analyst and author of many books and booklets. Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs. Email: drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com
To view other articles see my blog: http://www.drshabirchoudhry.blogspot.com/
Choudry sahib. This demo was in response prolonged load shedding in Mirpur not against the raising of the dam.Wapda has subsequently decided not to load shed in Mirpur which in its self is a spineless move as there is genuine power shortage in the region and Mangla dam is virtually empty.
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