Mangla Dam affectees, including locals and refugees, called off their strike by ending 38-day long sit-in here on Sunday. They called off the strike after Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed announced to accept their demands, including the rehabilitation of the extended families of affectees.
Addressing a press conference, Divisional Commissioner-cum-Commissioner Mangla Dam Affairs Raja Amjad Pervaiz Ali Khan announced a package of incentives on behalf of the AJK Prime Minister, including reservation of place for construction of alternative site for the extended families of Mangla Dam affectees.
The Commissioner was flanked by Joint Commissioner, DIG Police Mirpur Range Tahir Qureshi, Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Guftar Hussain and other senior officials of the district administration and the Mangla Dam Affairs Department. Earlier, City Administrator Ghulam Rasool Awami, Director Co-ordination Kashmir Liberation Cell Raja Khalid Farooq, and Staff Officer to AJK PM Raja Khizer ur Rehman as well as representatives of the Mangla Dam Affectees including Muhammad Azam Khan, Raja Tasleem Anjum, Mirza Abdul Bashir, Sardar Rasheed Jamaal and others announced to call off in response to the assurance by the AJK government about resolution of their three major problems. These include resettlement of the extended families, financial relief for rehabilitation and the required assistance for shifting to the alternative locations.
In telephonic address to media and representatives of the Mangla Dam affectees, the AJK Prime Minister thanked the Government of Pakistan for positive response and in this regard he mentioned Mirpur International Airport and the first 5-star Pearl Continental Hotel, whose foundation stone would be laid in the near future.
He said that the Pakistan Government had also agreed to launch the project for supply of Sui gas to rest of Mirpur city, including new residential locations of Mangla Dam affectees, New Mirpur city and four small towns. Chaudhry Abdul Majeed said that the Government of Pakistan had also decided to construct a dual carriageway from Muzaffarabad to Bhimbher under the supervision of the National Highway Authority to bring about rapid development and prosperity in Azad Kashmir. He pointed out that the Muzaffarabad-Bhimbher dual carriageway would reduce the distance by 150 kms between Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.
