Thakot protest deferred after talks offer

BATTAGRAM:

An all-parties alliance, trade unions, and the local community in Thakot have postponed a protest that was scheduled for Friday against the alleged unlawful establishment of FBR and customs offices.

The protest call—originally given in opposition to a government plan to allot commercial land worth millions at throwaway prices—was withdrawn after the Battagram Deputy Commissioner offered to hold negotiations.

In this regard, a jirga was held on Friday, attended by representatives of various political parties, trade union leaders, and notable members of the community. Speakers at the jirga included representatives from PML-N, PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI, ANP and others.

The speakers said the government intends to acquire commercial land in Thakot for the establishment of customs and FBR offices at an official rate of Rs33 million per kanal, while the local market value is as high as Rs80 million per kanal. They alleged that the government is attempting to take over the land for just Rs1 million per kanal, which is unacceptable. They added that they have accepted the Deputy Commissioner's offer for negotiations. However, if the talks fail to yield results, they will once again call for protests and block the Karakoram Highway for an indefinite period.