Action Committee Formed on KKH – Expansion

Press Release – An action committee has been formed to safeguard the rights of people who would be affected in Hunza-Nagar by the planned expansion work on Karakuram Highway. Ehsan Ali Advocate has been elected Chairman of the action committee.

The action committee has demanded that all queries of the local population should be addressed before starting any work on the KKH. Northern Areas, the press release states, are disputed and the government can not use land without taking cosent of the local people. It has also been demanded that proper compensation plans should be devised to ensure safety of the farmers. This action committee was formed after the Deputy Commissioner of Gilgit issued a notice in this regard.

Gojal valley would be the most affected area within Gilgit-Baltistan, if the KKH is exapnded. Considerable damage would be caused to agricultural land, houses will have to be demolished and the Khunjerab National Park, home to some of the rarest wild life species, would also be affected to a large extent. No news has yet been recieved about whether Gojal is represented in the action committee or not.