We had the only option to take over SDP, says Ali Afsar
Hunza, April 28: The newly appointed Chairman of the dry port trust, Ali Afsar, has said that as a last option they opted to take over the Sost Dry Port. He was talking to Zulfiqar Ali Khan of Pamir News on Sunday at Sost Dry Port. He said that the sareholders and trust tried their level best to convince the former cabinet to give due rights to the shareholders but they strengthened their vested interests, instead of giving heed to the concerns. He further added that the new cabinet will ensure merit in future setup and stakeholders will be given due rights.
On question that media has dessiminated misinformation regarding the current development, he said that the “former exploiters are using their influnces to create rifts among local community while labeling this peaceful take over as terrorist act”. “We will receive our Chinese partners with traditional enthusiasm at Khunjerab zero point on may 01, 2008”, he informed us. He clarified that their first priority was investigate the corruptions during last years and streamline the shares of local stakeholders.
“The former Chairman sent officials of local administration and Nambardars to trap us in a game of dialogue but we have rejected it”, he said. The members of Sost WOs have also made similar allegations on former cabinet and demanded public apology in order to normalise the issue.
The port controvercy has made new turns after the newly elected cabinet took over the port on April, 24 with the help of local community. The former cabinet was not part of the election process. Our correspondent tried to know the stance of the former cabinet members but they are in Islamabad to negotiate on this issue.
The local community is stressing on both the parties to resolve the issue peacefully and avoid using any illegal means to jeopardize law and order situation in the region.
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The video of interviews taken by Pamir News can be seen by clicking on the link below:
- Ali Afsar, Chairman Silk Route Dry Port Trust [New Cabinet] (Click To OPEN)
- Senior Citizen Protesting, in Burushaski Language (CLICK TO OPEN)
- General View of the Port Building during take over (CLICK TO OPEN)
I hope the new cabinet are clear in their intentions and objectives to set thing straight as they claim it was not so in the past. We need to see what went worng and why. In my openion the local community were kept in dark while setting up the whole project and the people who were involved in the innitial setup were either incompetent or were planted by the Mirs with ill intentions.
Who are the trustees and why are they silent for so long on the alleged financial missmanagement and tragic events happening since the start of its business.
I would like to suggest the new cabinet to go through the documents of the whole business mainly the Article and memorendon of association of the company, the minutes of the meetings of Management, the documents of the Trust and its role in the business, Proportion of shares of all the stakeholders and their rights and the role and rights of the local community and local share holders.
As It is a joint venture between two countries so you guys need to be more cotious in dealing with highly sensitive legal complicated issues. We can not win legal battle with emotions so we need to be cool and cautious. I would also suggest that the new cabinet (if they are enjoying legal rights) should have the services of an expert barrister (not from Gilgit) with the knowledge and experties to deal with international business.
I wish and pray that may we remain united and May Allah give us wisdom, courrage and strengths to overcome the challenges of the future and bless us with peace, prosperity and Mushkil Aasan..Ameen
Great work Zulfiqar, I know it is very difficult task to cover this issue (both politically & Financially) but I am confident that your voice will reach to the concern officials and communities. I know the local media is not in fever of the newly appointed SDP management and people of Gojal just because of the pressure from CE office, but the PAMIR NEWS has brought it on international desk, therefore we don’t need to worry about the local media.
Keep it up
Nice progress and well done so far.
A serous lesson needs to be learnt from the blunders and mistakes of the previous office bearers of the SRDP. It is a time testing for the new office bearers as well.
You (the new offic bearers) need now to prove your honesty. Serious accountablity of the corruptions has to be carried out of the culprits who are now out. Unlike the fews in the last offce, you need to come out of the confrontational politics but rather to ensure good governance by promoting peace, regarding shareholders and stakeholders’ views, struggling for a stabilized economy, proving trasperancy, aggessively introducing and supporting meritocracy,ensuring accounttability, promoting inclusieness and dailouges, laying a foundaiton for organizational justice and equity, and the like.
All the best to you all, the new office bearers and the entire canbinet.
We are much thankful to Zulfiqar for the dedication of time and knowledge that, he gives to show the reality to the community regarding the incident that took place at the Sost Dry Port. Being an educated community, it is our responsibility to raise voice against such elements that are using new techniques of exploitations as their ancestor did in the past by influencing the correspondents of the state media representatives at Gilgit (The news that appeared on the Geo T.V).
Indeed the suggestion put forward by Mr.Sher Karim is very insightful to resolve the crises in more professional way with out involving the emotions and woes of the community and not to let it go on the negative side.
Ali Sarwar
Karachi
It would be really good if some more information is made available here about the new office bearers of SDP. As many of us do not know them or just know then my their name only.
Aziz
Mansehra
DEAR ZULFIQAR WELL DONE ! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME KEEP IT UP UP UP.
GHULAM AHMED
DOWN UNER (Australia)
A great job done, a huge appreciation for the activists of Women Village Organizations and their peaceful demonstration. Unity at any cost is must to accomplish the goal, so i would like to humbly request to all reps. of KVO and especially the people of Sost to remain intact and bury all differences and personal wishes as well conflicts. Gilgit -Baltistan is united to back you.
AWAM KA AIK HE NARA HAY …..SOST PORT HAMARA HAY
it gives me immense pleasure anyhow i hve firm believe that vll work for the development anr for the prosperity of the area partically sost