Civil society activists belonging to the picturesque Leepa valley of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) staged a symbolic protest on Thursday to remind Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of his commitment about construction of a tunnel to ensure round the year access to their area.
Home to some 80,000 people at a distance of around 100 kilometres towards the southeast of Muzaffarabad, Leepa valley is accessed by two dangerously narrow road and one pedestrian track beyond Reshian village. These tracks run through an altitude of around 10,000 feet.
However, heavy winter snowfalls block all three routes, forcing valley inhabitants to commute on foot at the peril of their lives.
Every year, casualties occur as people wend their way to and from the valley through the snow-capped corridors.
People of Leepa valley had long been demanding construction of the tunnel and their hopes were rekindled after Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif announced its construction during an election rally in the area in June 2011.
When the PML-N clinched power at the Centre, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif owned the announcement and in line with his directives, the Executive Board of National Highway Authority had cleared the PC-1 for construction of 3.79 km tunnel with realignment of access road for CDWP/ECNEC approval in its 239th meeting held in Islamabad in September 2014.
The project was cleared by CDWP at a cost of Rs 7.3 billion and according to the two-year performance report (2013-15) of the ministry of Kashmir affairs Rs 50 million were allocated in the federal public sector development programme (PSDP) for 2014-15 for it.
However, Leepa valley people were dismayed after realising that the project had not gone forward.
Last week, the Muzaffarabad based residents of Leepa valley had staged a sit-in on the premises of Press Club on the same issue.
On Thursday many of them drove to the snow capped Reshain village, located 25 kilometres before Leepa valley, to stage a protest there amid freezing cold.
Participants, who included lawyers, traders, students and political activists, were holding placards inscribed with their demands in English, Urdu, Kashmiri and Gojri languages.
“Mian Sahib, where is Leepa tunnel?” questioned one placard.
“We too are public; we too are humans,” read another.
They also chanted similar slogans.
Speaking to reporters, who had accompanied them to cover their protest, participants highlighted the problems faced by the Leepa valley residents due to the blockade of all three routes in winters.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should honour his commitment and order immediate commencement of the project, which is essential not only from the defence point of view but also for the sake of thousands of lives left stranded in the valley during winters,” said Shaukat Javed Mir, one of the protestors.
He also urged chief of the army staff, Gen Raheel Sharif to play his role in this regard.
“Our peaceful struggle is not against any individual or organization but for the betterment of our generations and it should be looked into from that angle,” said Syed Ishtiaq Bukhari.
Participants warned that if the commitment made to them was not honoured, they would be compelled to stage a protest in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad.
Tariq Naqash
Tariq Naqash
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