FIR against flood-hit people of Brep condemned as pressure tactic

1
  • Ten persons including village council nazim booked
  • Police force them to appear before magistrate for undertaking 
  • Locals term police action a strong-arm tactic to silence them from raising voice for rights.

BREP: The flood-devastated people of Brep have strongly condemned registration of a police case against them for peacefully holding a protest gathering against government failure to rehabilitate them.

The First Investigation Report (FIR) was registered under section 147, 149 and 341 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the Mastuj police station.

According to a copy of the FIR registered on the complaint of foot constable Muhammad Shafiq and available with Chitral Today, about 200 to 250 people held a protest gathering in Rahimabad locality of Brep on April 11.

The participants were led by Village Council Chairman Musa Nabi, retired Subedar Purdum Wali, Mir Faraz, Muhammad Hazar, Akbar Hussain, retired Havaldar Mir Rahim, Afsar Khan of Istach, Rehmat Murad, Azam and Qasim Khan.

The FIR saud that at the outset of the public gathering, Purdum Wali asked the participants to block the road. The protesters then blocked the road by placing a fallen poplar tree on it, closing it for all types of traffic.

It said Tehsil Council Chairman Sardar Hakim on the occasion asked the protesters not to block the road but to no avail.

Local people told Chitral Today that police called all those nominated in the FIR to the Mastuj police station and asked them to approach the local magistrate and sign an undertaking for not repeating the offence (blocking road) under section 107.

However, the locals said the district administration wanted to book more people in a similar case and deprive them of their basic right to protests demanding rehabilitation and steps to ensure protection from more flooding in their area.

They said the district administration instead of working to resolve their issues was restoring to use the police to harass and silence the residents which would not be tolerated.

It may be recalled that two back to back protests were held last week by the people of Brep displaced by GLOFs.

Since 2007, glacial lake outburst floods (GOLFs) in one of the two streams have washed away at least 60 percent of the village, rendering hundreds of families homeless. Last year, the floods again hit the village obliterating more houses and land.

Most of the displaced families live with their relatives while others have no other option but to stay in squalid tents in the flooded areas.

Moreover, the floods filled debris on the pathway of the stream, endangering the remaining parts of the village, especially on the right side of the nullah.

The areas in the village so far safe from the flooding are now vulnerable to it. These areas include houses, markets as well as the basic health unit (BHU), newly-built Jamat Khana, one mosque, a godown and three government schools, local people told Chitral Today.

The affected persons said if the nullah was not cleaned of the debris more floods this summer would destroy the remaining parts of Brep.

 

1 Comment
  1. شیر ولی خان اسیر says

    پولیس اقدام کی مذمت کرتا ہوں۔ مصیبت زدہ عوام کے خلاف ایف آئی آر کرکے پولیس کونسی کارکردگی دکھانا چاہتی ہے۔ عوام کا پرسان حال کوئی نہ ہو تو احتجاج کرنا ان کا قانونی حق بنتا ہے۔ ضلعی انتظامیہ اپر چترال سے درخواست ہے کہ کہ یہ سیف آئی آر واپس لینے کا حکم دیں۔ کہیں ایسا نہ کہ کہ پوری وادی کے عوام سڑکوں پر آجائیں اور حکومت کے لیے درد سر بن جائیں۔

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.

error: Content is protected!!