Protesters demand FIR against lawmakers, district govt
They have given the deadline of 1pm to the government to meet their demand of the FIR otherwise they would proceed to the Booni bazaar. The Booni bazaar is closed in protest against the repeated death of people from falling from damaged bridges which could not be repaired even one year after the floods. Earlier, they reached Khandan in processions. The protest rally was taken out after four people, including a former UC Kosht nazim, died when a makeshift bridge between Kosht and Bumbagh collapsed on Monday evening.
The bridge was washed away in July-Aug 2015 floods and later the army arranged the temporary bridge to restore links with the Kosht and other areas. However, despite the allocation of funds and repeated demands and protests by the area people the bridge could not be reconstructed. This led to the loss of precious lives.
One of the angry people marching towards the Khandan ground told ChitralToday on phone that they would hold a sit-in in Khandan and demand the registration of an FIR against MNA Shahzada Iftikhar Uddin, MPA Sardar Hussain, district nazim Maghfirat Shah and deputy commissioner Osama Ahmad Waraich. All these elected representatives and government officials are responsible for the deaths of the innocent people, he alleged.
It may be noted that a female student and her father died after falling another damaged bridge in front of Saht village in Mulkhow while three teenage girls lost their lives after falling into the river from yet another damaged bridge in the Torkhow valley within the last about a month.
The protesters said that if the government did not accept their demand, they would move to Booni and devise their future line of action.
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I remember when our honorable MPA Sardar upper CHitral requested the CM in Kuragh that all the rehabilitation activities be given to FWO as local contractors were not that technically suited to complete the projects. Now all this should be investigated crores of rupees were utilized on these faulty bridges.
My heart goes out for the victims . The bridge was built by military personnel after the devastated flood with a huge cost of 50 millions.Although the public representatives and government department are also responsible for the negligence,but at the same time the military personals should also be brought in to justice.
It is tragic incident and however just look at the mentality of the people. They are holding everyone accountable for this incident with the exception of FWO-who actually has built this bridge. The KP government has paid hundreds of million of Rupees to the FWO last year to rehabilitate the infrastructure. An initial payment of 3 corore Rupees was done as early in July last year within days the flood started.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/52819-kp-govt-fwo-join-hands-for-reconstruction-in-chitral
So, it is contrary to the common belief that Army built the infrastructure on its own in any case is factually wrong. I have myself witnessed them closing Lawari top for traffic after clearing snow waiting for the government. Once we reached the Lawari which was said by just reopened, however the on duty soldier shared with me that actually the KP government is yet to pay dues for the snow clearing. Once that happen they would be promptly opening the top and will go crazy with publicizing ads of “helping poor People.
So, what at this point is needed is to inform the higher ups Army to take proper action against those who were involved in building this pathetic quality of bridge.