GILGIT: The landowners affected by Karakoram Highway expansion project have not been paid compensation even seven years after its completion.

They threatened to start a protest movement and block the KKH for an indefinite period against the Planning Commission and the National Highway Authority for not paying them compensation.

The affected people alleged that the Chinese government had provided 80 per cent funding of the project to the federal finance division, including the land compensation, but the Planning Commission was withholding the land compensation.

Talking to journalists in Gilgit on Tuesday, members of the action committee of KKHaffected people said over 1,500 families from China border to Diamer district had been af fected by the road expansion project, which was started in 2007 and completed in 2010.

They said their fertile lands and commercial buildings along the KKH were acquired for the road expansion, but they were yet to be compensated.

The landowners said the NHA was deliberately delaying payment of compensation to them.

They said many times they went on strike and protested on roads to seek compensation, but to no avail.

NHA authorities have been making f alse promises with us on compensation. Now we have no option but to block the KKH for indefinite period, they threatened.

The affected people appealed to the federal government to take steps to address grievances of the landowners.

Amjad Hussain, who is representing the affected people in court in the case, said that KKH was part of the all important CPEC, but the poor landowners in GB were deprived of compensation.

He said Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ihsan Iqbal had failed to pay heed to the cries of the affected people.

He said the GB Supreme Appellate Court had also directed the authorities for payment of compensation to landowners last year, but the court order was not implemented.