Report sought from local administration on Sost Port issue
by Zulfiqar Ali Khan
HUNZA, July 19: The Minister for Finance and Privatisation, Syed Naveed Qamar has assured a delegation of PPP activists that the real stakeholder of Sost Dry Port will be given their due rights. The minister was visiting Hunza on the invitation of Aga Khan Foundation for inauguration of the Ahmedabad Hydro Power Station. The delegation comprised of Fida Karim, President Pakistan Peoples Party, Hunza, Karimullah Baig, President, Peoples Youth Wing Hunza, Farmanullah Baig Razi, President Peoples Youth wing Gojal, Aziz Jan, Chairman Union Council Gojal and Imam Yar Baig, party activist from Shinaki.
The delegation informed the Minister about ‘large scale irregularities of Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Chief Executive Northern Areas and family in the Sost Dry Port’. The delegation accused Mir Ghazanfar and his family for ‘trying to use their influences to create misunderstanding between the newly elected cabinet of the port and their Chinese partners’.
The minister instructed Socrat Aman Rana, Assistant Commissioner, Hunza, to submit a detailed report in this regard. The delegation also requested the Minister to increase the number of seats for Hunza in Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA). The delegation informed the Minister that due to deployment of force in Chipurson and Brughal valley, border areas with Afghanistan, the local communities are unable to take the yaks and other cattle back from the pasture. The delegation also demanded for special financial packages and products for Gilgir-Baltistan due to crisis in tourism and cross border trade in the region.
Answering a question of PT correspondent, the Minister said that after thorough study of the Sost Dry Port issue, he will forward it to the concerned ministry for further actions.
The Minister has promised to fulfil the demands of the party activists and instructed to present these in the form of a comprehensive proposal.
it is good that the finance minister at least visited the area though he was given a protocol which he does not deserves. He does not deserves because he was there to inaugurate a project in which there isn’t any participation of his party or his own. We become happy whenever a political leader visits us, we have became used to of being ruled. still we are of the mind that we should please these leaders who have done nothing for us rather than thinking of not to follow them but to be in place of them. I would ask the representatives of PPPP , what they have demanded and how they have presented the people of north. the same i think ” sahab yahan to saray app k jialain hain”. it is good to be a jiala if the jialism can change the life, even of an indiviual .
I am not against any particular party, but i feel the agony of our innocent people who are time and again cheated and made puppets.
AMJAD ALI (NEWS MONITOR AAJ TV)
Dear Amjad
You seens to be a man of media and therefore your views are very important. you are actual the people who shape direction and guide the people to follow. You must be aware of the government mechanism… as people change but the systems are there. We can not say that FM has no right to open the project… this is his duty as he is the finance minister of Pakistan these days. There must be a TOR for this partnership we must aknowledge and support such other Public Private Partnership. The other think you are worring is what might have they demanded….oh man they have demanded for an aditional seat for Hunza in the NALC…. do you think this is a wrong thing they have done…. they have demanded for inquiry into the dry port issue….. again do you think they done a wrong thing….
Yes one thing i am not sure is their way of presentation….they have presented it most humble way or may not be able to speak it properly
Thanks
Dear Shabir
You are right in saying that i am a man of media but i dont think that I am one, alone, to make any direction for the people. See things can be achieved through developing mutual consensus. As far as the visit of FM is concerned again the issue is not technical that who is supposed to do what. your second point about the seat in NALA is really amazing . I think you are well informed about what NALA is and what is its position in the over all scenario of state and government. It is like the same that we are asking the government to let us make one more puppet without power and authority. Demanding seats is not a solution or a big deal but strengthening the seats is the need of time, secondly you are talking about the mechanism of the government, come on man which mechanism you are talking about? Is this mechanism just only to make promises and inaugurating projects??? I am really sorry that i don’t care for such mechanism. And i would encourage the people to so as well. No need of becoming slaves of system if that doesn’t care for you.
As far as the issue of sost dry port is concerned all of us know that what has happened. I well come and really appreciate if the govt is going to play a positive role.
AMJAD ALI (NEWS MONITOR, AAJ TV)
Well done man……. You do not favour seat NALC but you would favour aditional development projects for sure or you against them as well coz you do not want to take it from the masters…. Oh man the reality is that the increase in the developement fund is linked with the seats of the NALC. The other thing I am aware of the depriviation of the people of Northern Areas and ofcourse we need to mainstream our governeance system… but do you think without the support of mainstream political parties you would be able to do it…. if yes how… just not flot the idea mateirlize it……. I wonder at one hand you are going to strengthen the system but at the other hand you do not care….
Dear Amjad we should first organize our thoughts, needs, and than shape our demands… situation analysis is another important thing to consider…. The failed leadership of Northern Areas have also choas thoughts and hence are not able to present the region even nationally