CHITRAL: Elders belonging to Chitral district have asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to refrain from establishing any housing scheme at Qaqlasht picturesque meadow that required preservation.
Addressing a press conference here, the elders, including former Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Zainul Abideen, Saad Roomi, Muhammad Ayub, Mehrab Khan and Abdullah Jan urged the KP government to protect natural habitats in Chital. They said destroying natural landscapes, flora and fauna under an official patronage would be criminal negligence.
They condemned the public statement of KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak that soon a housing scheme would be launched on the Qaqlasht pastures in Chitral.They argued the meadow was a joint ownership of the dwellers of Booni, Kosht, Charun, Morder, Mojgol, Nogram, Warijun, Koshum and several other pastoral villages in the area.
They pointed out the local population was using the scenic vegetation as a grazing sanctuary for their cattle head and collect herbs and shrubs for their day to day needs.They said the Qaqlasht meadow was the life-line of the pastoral economy in the area and the housing scheme on this “wonder of nature” would be suicidal for the environment and local economy of the people.
They added that any adventurism in the name of a building a township would only destroy the local culture, pave the way for land grabbers, provide space to greedy and corrupt land developers besides snatching a source of livelihood from the poor of the region.
“If the chief minister wishes to develop the people of Chitral and alleviate poverty, then he must pay attention to rebuild the roads, bridges and other infrastructure destroyed by the recent floods in Chitral. He must resolve the hardships of the residents by concentrating on the development of hospitals and education institutions in the area,” the concerned elders said.They threatened that any encroachment on the rights of the people of Chitral could create a law and order situation in the area.
Source The News