Hundreds start march towards Afghanistan in protest

Photo: Radio TNN[/caption] The families have taken the decision in protest against the district administration for not paying them cash compensation for their damaged houses. Launching their march, the participants were chanting slogans against the administration for keeping them on hollow promises for the last over six months. However, when they reached Mirkhani, the Chitral Scouts stopped them from proceeding towards Arandu. As a result, they staged a protest sit-in there. After failing to get compensation for their damaged houses in the Oct 26, 2015 earthquake, about 450 families on Tuesday announced their decision to migrate to Afghanistan in protest against the district administration of Chitral. Talking to the local reporters at their hunger strike camp here, the representatives of the quake-affected families, including former UC nazim Abdul Bari, Haji Muhtaram Shah, Qari Nizam Uddin, Hassan Muhammad and Salahuddin Toofan said that the 450 families would leave the area on Wednesday morning and start a march towards the Arandu valley on the border of Afghanistan. They said that the families had started their protest four months ago and ended it on January 20 on the assurance of Deputy Commissioner Osama Ahmad Waraich that a fresh survey of the damaged houses would be carried out to pay compensation to the owners and that the files would not be closed till all the affected people were paid the cheques. However, they regretted that the affected people were still not paid the compensation even two months after the fresh survey was done by additional assistant commissioner Basharat Hussain. They said that due to the callous attitude of the administration, the quake-hit people were again compelled to start the protest and it was fourth day of their hunger strike but without any result. They said that after losing all hopes to get justice, they have taken the decision to migrate to Afghanistan.—Bashir Hussain Azad]]>