Wazir tribe elders vow to oppose dam

MIRANSHAH: The members of Wazir Grand Jirga, political leaders and parliamentarians on Sunday announced that they would not allow anyone to construct the ‘controversial’ Kurram Tangi dam in North Waziristan district.Held at Shewa Chowk area in North Waziristan, the Wazir Grand Jirga was attended by its Chairman Dr Gul Alam Wazir, Members National Assembly (MNAs) Ali Wazir, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, Member Provincial Assembly Shah Muhammad Wazir, prominent elders and political figures of Uthmanzai and Ahmadzai tribes from North and South Waziristan districts and a large number of general public.The participants unanimously announced that the construction of the Kurram Tangi dam would be resisted tooth and nail as it would affect 0.3 million population in the area.“No one can build this controversial dam without the consent of Kabalkhel tribe,” the participants vowed.The parliamentarians on this occasion pledged that a resolution would be tabled in the National Assembly against the dam construction.The elders said that an area inhabited by 0.3 million people would come under water with the construction of the dam.They said the government has not given estimates of damage to the inhabitants with the construction of the dam and the area people haven’t been told about the alternative arrangements either.The elders said the local population hasn’t been taken into confidence over such a mega project. They said they would stage sit-ins in Peshawar and Islamabad to protest the construction of Kurram Tangi dam.The jirga demanded the government to remove machinery and other construction equipment from the site within one month time and give a written assurance not to construct the dam. The elders alleged that the government was violating the law and appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the matter.

from The News International - Peshawar https://ift.tt/2NTSzJf