'Mangla Dam raising: Affected families demand compensation

RAWALPINDI:

Hundreds of people affected by the Mangla Dam raising project on Monday staged a demonstration outside Rawalpindi commissioner’s office. The protesters threatened to boycott the local government elections and sit-ins in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad if they did not get compensation amount. Speakers said the population affected by the project was promised financial compensation but has not been paid yet. They said 114 families were affected by the project. Later, they held negotiations with Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed, who said a compensation plan had been forwarded to the PM’s Office for release of funds. As soon as the funds are released, they will be paid.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2015.