KARAK: The residents of Showanki Deta Mine, Kurdsharif and other adjacent localities held a protest demonstration against the owners of the local coal mines companies for not giving rights to the local people.

The protesters, led by former nazim Ikhtiar Rehman and Habibullah, gathered at Kurd Sharif here on Wednesday and marched to the coal mines where they staged a protest demonstration.

Addressing on the occasion, the leaders of the protesters said coal and silica were discovered in their lands but the lease holders were giving them only Rs1,000 per month which was sheer injustice with the local landowners. They claimed that they had the right to get Rs1,000 per truck of coal.

They alleged that the lease holders were getting millions of rupees in a month but the local people were not given their rights.

They said that the coal mines companies didn`t initiate a single welfare project in the area.

The protesters said that the local people were working in the coal mines but their children were deprived of education. They added that a single local child was not admitted to the Folks Grammar School Karak.

The speakers said that their rights were being usurped by the influential people, who were politicking in the name of labourers.

They said that two days ago two labourers of Showanki Deta Mine were seriously injured in landslide in a coal mine.

One of them identified as Yaseen succumbed to his injuries while the other injured Siyal was admitted to a hospital in Peshawar in critical condition, they added.

They said that the families of both the labourers should be compensated by the company according to rules.

They said that landowners should be given Rs1,000 per truck, threatening to stage sit-in outside the office of louber department in Kohat if their demand was not met.

POWER SUSPENSION: Power remained suspended for more than 24 hours in Palosa Sar, Sabirabad, Ghundi Mir Khanlchel, Isal< Chountra and other localities of Chountra in Karak tehsil.

The president of Choutran Welfare Organisation, Ishaq Khattak, said in a hurriedly called meeting of the organisation here on Wednesday that power should be restoredforthwithotherwise they would take to streets.

He said that suspension of power for long time became a routine in the area. He added that the lame excuses of Pesco authorities in the name of fault were no more acceptable to them.