Locals hold protest against Neelum-Jhelum power project in PoK

Updated:6 years, 10 months ago

Muzaffarabad (PoK), Dec 19 (ANI): Residents took to the streets of Muzaffarabad against Pakistan’s indiscriminate and unabated construction in the illegally occupied region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). They raised slogans against Islamabad demanding the immediate termination of the projects that are underway on the Neelum-Jhelum River and also urged authorities to refrain from sanctioning any further projects. Locals blame Pakistan for recklessly exploiting natural resources in the illegally-occupied region by building mega dams and hydropower projects on rivers like Neelum and Jhelum. The people in PoK are deprived of even drinking water as river Neelum is drying up due to the construction of the hydropower plant project. The project, which was built on the pretext of bringing prosperity, has deeply affected the lives of the common people, with many of them forced to migrate to other places in the country. People of PoK have been suppressed for seven decades now. They are not just denied basic rights but are forced to lead their lives on terms dictated by Islamabad’s political puppets in the region.