MANSEHRA: The families, which survived the 2005 earthquake, have announced that they will block the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road on Oct 8 to protest long delay in the allotment of plots at the New Balakot City project to them.

“We [earthquake survivors] will take to the streets and block the MNJ Road on the 16th anniversary of the natural calamity, which turned our lives upside down, to lodge our protest about the failure of the authorities to complete the New Balakot City project launched in 2006,” former nazim of Balakot tehsil Rajab Ali told a meeting on Saturday.

The participants included the former local body members, traders and people from other walks of life.

Mr Ali said both federal and provincial governments were responsible for the misery of the earthquake survivors, who still lived in the Balakot Red Zone.

President of the traders’ body Noor Hussain regretted that the families displaced by the 2005 earthquake continued to live in around 5,000 prefabricated houses donated by the Saudi government.

Calamity survivors resent long delay in allotment of New Balakot City plots

“Instead of ensuring the early completion of the housing project, the federal and provincial governments passed the buck forcing the displaced families to lead a miserable life,” he said.

Mian Ashraf, a representative of the earthquake survivors, criticised the local lawmakers for turning a blind eye to the issue.

EAGLE SEIZED: A joint team of the wildlife department and police have seized a golden eagle and two kestrels in Kaghan valley and fined their two smugglers Rs76,000.

Divisional wildlife officer Taimur Shah identified the smugglers as Sher Mohammad and Khairul Bashar of Peshawar and said the birds captured in the Lolusar-Dodipat National Parks were being smuggled out of the country.

He said the seized golden eagle, an engendered specie, and kestrels were shifted to the Dhodial pheasantry for medical care and that they would later be released into their natural habitat.

The official said the department had distributed brochures to the local communities for wildlife protection and sought their support for the purpose.

He said Kaghan, Siren, Konsh and other alpine meadows had exotic and endangered pheasants, birds and animals.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2021