Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has demanded of the government to implement the charter of demand of affectees' action committee Diamer-Bhasha Dam and give compensation of land according to its settled value to the people. PML-N leader Siddiqul Farooq, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Organiser of PML-N Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman, PML-N legislative member of Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Jhanbaz Khan and others made this demand in a news conference here on Friday.
They also strongly condemned the killing of peaceful protesters by police in Challas and demanded of the government to include legislative member of affected area in committee comprising six ministers to resolve the problems of Diamer-Bhasha Dam. They also demanded increase in the compensation from 5 to 10 lakh for the people that were killed by the police. Siddiqul Farooq said as many as 35 villages and 125 Km Karrakrum highway has been affected by the construction of dam. He claimed that the government is not honouring its agreement made with the affected people for compensation.
He said that the PML-N wants the completion of this project as soon as possible to overcome the shortage of energy but some elements are plotting against it. He said that his party would not tolerate such conspiracies and take this project seriously to eliminate electricity crisis.
Answering to a question, the PML-N leader said that Pakistan has capacity to generate a total of 5000 MW electricity from hydel projects. "Almost all the industries of the country have been closed due to the power shortage," he said. He said that the government is not playing fair and warned, if it did not meet the demands of affectees it would be responsible for the worse situation.