Joint protest by lake affectees in Gojal, commercial boat service brought to complete halt
PT Report
Hunza, May 15: Around 300 affectees of the lake protested in the Hunza Valley today, demanding discharge of water from the dammed Hunza River and earlier distribution of compensation money among the 457 listed households.
The protesters from Gulmit, Shishkat and Ayeenabad gathered close to the site of the sunk Shishkat-Gulmit bridge and blocked the river for boat traffic, by tying metallic wires between the river banks.
They protesters carried placards and chanted slogans in favour of their demands and against different organizations and government departments.
A number of speakers addressed the protesters, saying that the government had completely failed to drain the lake, despite of giving numerous deadlines. The Frontier Works Organization was bitterly criticised for failing to drain the lake despite of a lapse of 15 months, since the Attabad Landslide disaster that occurred on January 4, 2010.
A selected group of 50 people was reportedly protesting late into the night, blocking the lake for boat traffic.
Tomorrow morning hundreds of other people are likely to join the protesters who intend to continue the strike for indefinite period till complete fulfilment of their short term demands.
According to sources, similar protesters are being planned in Aliabad Hunza.
Thats good sign of political maturity of people of gojal, we need to organize and plan for further consequnces as Govt has completly failed to drian the water from lake, its performence shows that its not sincear with the peple of gojal as well as the people of Hunza.