Residents affected by Dasu Hydro Power Project (DHPP) have been protesting for the last few days against the Pakistan Federal government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Thousands of people dispossessed of their land without any compensation have said they want the government to resolve the issues faced by them immediately.
Hundreds of houses were demolished, and residents were forced to abandon their lands without the government rehabilitating them. They have been forced to sacrifice their homes and hearths at gunpoint and the site was handed over to Chinese engineers and workers who are working on the site. The protestors have alleged that their 13 demands were earlier conceded through agreements with the government representatives. However, most of the demands have remained unfulfilled as there was no implementation of the written agreement till date.
At the same time, an agitation is building up in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) also against Diamer-Basha Hydro Power Project. Thousands of protestors have been engaged in protest sit-ins at Chilas for the last over one week. They have been demanding implementation of their demands regarding rehabilitation and giving jobs to locals in the project. Those protesting against the Diamer-Basha project have prepared a 31-point charter of demands for the Federal government.
On Monday, those protesting against Dasu project, mainly residents of Upper Kohistan, staged a sit-in outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They observed a shutter-down and chakka jam (disallowing all vehicular movement) in Komila bazaar. They have been protesting against the Water and Power Development Authority’s (Wapda) failure to honour its commitments on the 4,700MW Dasu Hydropower Project.
The call for the sit-in had been given by a committee constituted by those affected by the dam. On Sunday also, the committee mobilised hundreds of protesters from all walks of life, including traders and transporters. The protestors shut down businesses and observed a shutter-down strike across Upper Kohistan.
The protesters carried out a march in Komila and Dasu bazaars while shouting slogans against the Federal government and WAPDA. They also carried banners on which their demands were written in bold letters. Hafeez Ur Rehman, a committee leader, said that months of meetings with WAPDA had led to only promises. The WAPDA management has failed to take up their genuine demands regarding land compensation and rehabilitation.
“Wapda agreed to our 13 demands but it failed to fulfil them, forcing us to take to the streets again,” he stressed. The demands of those hit by the Dasu project included compensation for houses demolished for the dam’s construction, construction of a hospital for the local population and jobs for locals in the project.
Khuram Rehman Jadoon, additional deputy commissioner, Upper Kohistan, said: “The protesters staged a sit-in outside our office although their issue is relevant to Wapda.’’
Meanwhile, the negotiations between the representatives of Diamer-Basha Dam affected people and Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam held in Chilas on Sunday ended in a deadlock. The Federal Minister tried to prevail on the protesters to call off their sit-in. Instead, they have urged people of other areas to join their protests in the coming days.
The minister heads a six-member panel formed by PM Sharif to address grievances of the dam-affected people. The minister held talks with select leaders of the protestors but that yielded no results and the protests are likely to intensify and spread wider.
According to Dawn, talks were held between the minister and representatives of “Give Rights and Build Dam” protest movement at the Karakoram International University Diamer campus. GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, ministers Engineer Mohammad Anwar, Rehmat Khaliq and Shah Baig were present during the negotiations with the protestors.
Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam was told that Diamer-Basha Dam affected people were protesting for acceptance of their 31 demands. These demands have been meticulously enumerated and pertained to implementation of agreements made between the Federal government, WAPDA and the dam-affected people in 2010. It is already 15 years and nothing has been done to help those hit hard by the dam.
The GB chief minister said that in 2010 when the construction of the dam was started, an agreement was made between the then Federal government and the land-affected people. He said only 10 per cent of that agreement had been implemented. Actually, 90 per cent of the agreement has not been implemented in the last 15 years.
“I am the chief minister of GB and also an elected member from Diamer and it is my responsibility to present the facts correcly,” he said. “Diamer-Basha Dam land compensation award was given in 2015, but people have alleged discrimination in the distribution of the financial package among the affected people.”
Federal Minister Amir Muqam addressed the meeting and appreciated GB people for their sacrifices for the national interest. He claimed that it was priority of the Federal government to resolve GB people’s issues. He said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were protectors of the country without salaries.
After the negotiations, the committee members expressed dissatisfaction and announced to continue the protest and vowed to intensify their movement. GB Minister for Agriculture Mohammad Anwar later announced that he would resign if the issues of the affected people were not resolved.
