MUZAFFARABAD: A complete shutdown was observed on Thursday in Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) capital Muzaffarabad against environmental degradation on the call of “Save the River Movement”, a civil society organization.
All the markets and bazaars in the capital city of Muzaffarabad and adjourning towns Ghari Dupata, Hattian Dupata and Hattian Balla remained closed during the strike while traders organized protest rallies in all the towns in favor of their demands.
The traders demanded the government and Water and Power Authority (WAPDA) to implement the proposed mitigation measures to overcome the environmental fall outs of Neelum Jhelum power project (NJHP) in Muzaffarabad district as promised at the initiation of the project.
Save the River organization has also demanded the government to change the design of proposed Kohala hydro-power project and execute the power generation system along the river flow rather than diverting it through a tunnel.
A rally organized at upper Adda in Muzaffarabad was addressed by Chairman Save the River Movement Raja Amjad Ali Khan Advocate, President traders organization Razaq Khan Mughal, Shukat Nawaz Mir, Jamil Kashmiri and others.
The lawyers community in Muzaffarabad district also observed the strike following the call of Save the River Movement to support the demands of the movement.
