GILGIT: The Diamer-Bhasha Dam project affected people on Sunday announced plans to intensify their protest after talks with a government committee failed to yield any tangible outcome.
A sit-in protest in Chilas by hundreds of people affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project continued for the eighth consecutive day on Sunday. The protesters are demanding a 31-point charter of demands, including the implementation of agreements signed by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in 2010 and fair compensation for the lands they gave up.
They are also calling for a reassessment of land compensation rates based on current market values, as determined by the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government, and the inclusion of every married couple in the Household Resettlement Package under the Chulha Package.
On Sunday, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, and SAFRON, Engineer Amir Muqam, who is leading a ministerial committee formed to address the grievances of the affected people, reached Chilas via helicopter for dialogue with the protesters. G-B Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, G-B Minister Rehmat Khaliq, and other G-B Assembly Members were also present.
Also read: Chilas sit-in for Diamer-Bhasha Dam compensation enters 7th day
The first round of dialogue was held at Karakoram International University’s Diamer Campus. The minister attempted to convince the protesters to postpone their sit-in. However, the protesters demanded that he announce the acceptance of some of their demands before moving on to the next round of dialogue. As a result, the talks ended unsuccessfully. The minister then left Diamer and returned to Islamabad.
Addressing a press conference, Maulana Hazratullah, chairman of the committee overseeing the protest sit-in, announced that the dialogue had failed as “Amir Muqam expressed his powerlessness in accepting our demands.” He urged the residents of Diamer to prepare for “Plan B” of the protest.
“Our Plan B will be strong enough to force the government to bow before us and accept our demands. If not, we will not allow anyone to place a single brick on the dam construction site,” he added.
Later, while addressing the sit-in, he urged people from across Gilgit-Baltistan to march towards Diamer and show solidarity with them.
“People of Baltistan, people of Nagar and Hunza, come towards Diamer in the form of rallies as dialogue has failed,” he said.
While speaking to HUM News English, Maulana Hazratullah said they have three to four options, including blocking the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and marching towards the dam site to stop construction work as part of their intensified protest.
“Our shura [40-member body] will hold its meeting tonight to decide the future course of action,” he added.