Gilgit residents lodge protest for airport land compensation
On Friday, landowners affected by the Gilgit airport staged a sit-in outside
the airport, demanding long-overdue compensation for land acquired back in
1949.
Protesters highlighted that despite court orders, compensation for the land
used to construct Gilgit airport has not been disbursed. The acquisition
affected 128 families, encompassing 658 kanals of land, yet compensation
remains unpaid even after decades.
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Protest leaders Malik Iftikhar, Bilal Hussain, Zahoor Ahmad, Ilyas Khan, and
others noted that the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the federal ombudsman, and
even the president have ruled in favor of the affected families multiple times.
Despite these rulings, the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan,
along with the regional government, have yet to coordinate the necessary
revenue records and forward a summary to the federal government.
The protesters warned that they would suspend airport operations if their
demands were not met. They also criticized the Gilgit-Baltistan government for
failing to take necessary actions to resolve the issue.
Source: Dawn