SHANGLA: Leaders of the different political parties in Shangla have demanded of the federal and provincial government to re-include Bisham-Khwazakhela expressway in the public sector development programme, dropped by the incumbent government, also close the illegal coal mines and take action against the responsible people of the recent coal mine incident of Daula Orakzai.
They were speaking a multi-party conference called by the Shangla action committee here at the district bar room, Alpuri. Attended by almost every party leader and Shangla coalmine Worker Association office-bearers.
MNA Ibadullah Khan, Former senator, Rahat Hussain, Afsar-ul-Mulk, Mutawakeel Khan, former minister Abdul Munim Khan, Action committee chairman, Muhammad Naeem Khan, Fayaz Chakesari, activists Ali Bhash Khan and Niaz Khan Shangla addressed at the conference.
PML-N MNA Ibadullah said that the Bisham-Khwazakhela expressway was approved by the previous government and he had been supervising its process and funds for its construction were provided in 2017 by former ruler Nawaz Sharif.
He claimed the project feasibility report was also issued by the national highway authority and construction work was about to start but the present government dropped the project from PSDP and diverted its funds to other schemes.
“We now wanted the road project for which we have to keep our politics aside and come on a page to convince the government and it re-include the project and get started work on it because it’s the only way of Shangla progress and prosperity,” MNA said.
Afsar-ul-Mulk, divisional president PPP, claimed that the expressway project was approved in the People party’s government and then PML-N implemented it but now unfortunately the prevailing government removed it from the PSDP but they would keep continuing their struggle to claim their rights of Shangla.
He said, the Shangla’s future’s was being eliminated in the coalmines and the government had kept mum on this serious issue, hence they would not bear further losses of the Shangla colliers and come onto roads against the government for sit-in if illegal and high-risk mines were not closed down.
Niaz Khan Shangla, an activist said that all excessive government MPAs and MNAs had been seen least interested in the Shangla development rather than interested in the small road projects and taking contracts of them for making their own assets.
Shangla action committee Chairman, Muhammad Naeem Khan, said that the APC was called for two issues the dropping of Bisham-Khwazakhela expressway and the recent coal mine incident.
He said the government should take to these matters serious and accept their demands in a good gesture do not compel on to come onto roads for the sit-in.
Haji Abdul Munim, PTI’s leader assured the conference participants that he had been contacted to the federal minister communication, Murad Saeed, and minister labor and culture Shaukat Yousafzai and for these both issues he would take time from the chief minister for a meeting.
The conference participants later agreed on it to hold a meeting with the chief minister regarding both issues.
He said the government was intended to close down the illegal mines and he hopes that action would be taken against the responsible people of the recent mine incident that occurred at Daula Orakzai agency.
