Mohmand jirga sets one-week deadline for compensation to dam-affected people.

MOHMAND -- A jirga on Monday demanded of the government to ensure payment of compensation to the landowners affected by the Mohmand Dam as per the commitment made with them.

Held at Shaheed Banda area of Pandiali tehsil it was attended among others by Senator Hilal Rehman, ANP MPA Nisar Mohmand, PTI leaders Malik Mehboob Sher, Qari Rahim Shah, PPP leaders Shah Sawar Khan, Mohammad Arshad Khan and JI leader Haji Abdur Raziq.

The participants said the government had exceeded the acquisition of the agreed upon land, but did not pay the compensation.

`Under the agreement, we have the first right to jobs in the dam, which are not being given to us,` said a tribal elder. The promise of building a university, a road and provision of other facilities has not been honoured, he com-plained.

The elders complained people from other provinces had been hired in the project. They demanded setting up of a committee consisting of local parliamentarians to push for their demands.

The elders gave an ultimatum to the government for a week to meet their demands, or they would launch a protest movement.

On the occasion, Senator Hilal Rehman said the Mohmand Dam project was very important as it would change the destiny of the backward region, but added the people were being deprived of its benefits. He said the landowners had yet to be compensated. He warned the government to resolve the issue on a priority, or they would start a protest movement.

MPA Nisar Mohmand assured that...