Islamabad: The families affected by the Dasu hydropower project in Pakistan on Friday warned that if their issues aren’t addressed by the authorities, they would block work on the energy initiative, Dawn reported.

Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper.

The warning was issued by an 80-member committee formed by the project-hit people.

Committee member Malik Ghulab Khan told reporters: “We met the Hazara commissioner and told him in plain words that if our issues are not resolved immediately as promised by the Wapda chairman in June this year, we will get work on the Dasu project suspended by force.”

He said non-local workers and employees were being hired for the project in violation of the agreements made by Wapda and district administration with the affected families.

“We call for the recruitment of locals only,” he said, as per Dawn.

Committee member Malik Afreen said every family hit by the project should be given money as promised by the Wapda chairman.

He also said the amount of project allowance should be enhanced in line with the current inflation rate in the country.

Afreen said the district administration had initiated development schemes under the World Bank’s Areas Development Programme in health, education, roads, water and residential sectors but work on them all had entered a slow lane, as per Dawn.

He said: “The [Hazara] commissioner assured us that the agreements made by the Wapda and district administration with affected families would be implemented in letter and spirit. He will soon hold a meeting with Wapda and the deputy commissioner about it.”