Labourers were unemployed before Eid after the attack on Chinese engineers.
Laborers unemployed before Eid because Work on other projects including Dasu Dam halted after attack on Chinese engineers
Azmat Zahid is a resident of Dasu, Kohistan. Now, he is worried about employment before Eid. He said, ‘Being unemployed in Ramadan looks very bad. The arrival of Eid is coming, and in such a situation, if Deharis does not take place, then Eid will be delayed and dull.’ Azmat Zahid is not the only labourer suffering from this problem. Still, the clouds of unemployment are hovering over the heads of around six hundred labourers working on the Dasu Hydro Project. The majority of them are residents of Mazdoor Kohistan.
Site: OGRA announces drop in LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) pricing
On Tuesday, five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide attack on a vehicle of Chinese engineers going to the project in the Bisham area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Apart from the Pakistani authorities, a Chinese team is also investigating this attack. Meanwhile, the Chinese company of the labourers working on the project has told them that it is now temporarily stopping work and will be called back when needed again.
Idris Khan, a resident of Mansehra, is also included among these workers. He says, ‘We think we will return two days before Eid, but now we have already returned unemployed. ‘It didn’t go well for us. Many people have lost their jobs. Many people had planned shopping for their family members before Eid. It may not be possible for them now. After the Basham attack, China’s immediate response raised security issues with Pakistani authorities and also said that such attacks would not affect the relationship between Pakistan and China.
However, various Chinese companies working on the Tarbela Dam Expansion Project, Dasu Hydropower Project and Diamer Bhasha Dam have temporarily stopped their work. Companies in China have instructed their local staff not to report to work until further notice.
According to an official of the Dasu Hydropower Project, about five hundred and fifty Chinese nationals perform various services there. Virtually all the Dasu Hydropower Project work is done by a Chinese company. China’s staff oversees various construction sectors. These Chinese companies have stopped working on the Dasu Hydro project for some time.
About The Author
