KHYBER AGENCY - The tribesmen held a protest demonstration on Sunday in Landi Kotal Bazaar against alleged unlawful grabbing of their properties in Torkham by National Logistic Cell and Federal Board of Revenue and stressed army chief and other authorities to prevent the departments from seizing their land against their wishes.
The protest was organised by Khyber Political Alliance and was attended by large number of the local tribesmen besides political workers and elites of the area.
Addressing on the occasion, political leaders including Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Fata General Secretary Mufti Ijaz, Khyber Agency President of Pakistan People Party (PPP) Hazrat Wali Afridi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Fata leader Abdurraziq Shinwari, Fata president of Pakistan Democratic and Justice Party Daulat Shah Afridi, President PPP Fata Youth Wing Gulbahadar Afridi and others said that the NLC and FBR with support of the administration and handful so-called elders were getting hold of property of Khugakhel tribe without consent of the tribesmen, which, they said, would be resisted.
“Apart from the agreement signed with the NLC on June 4, 2015 that had been unanimously rectified by the Khugakhel tribe, no other contract is acceptable to us”, they said.
They also lamented that the state provided job opportunities to every citizen of the country but it was rendering tribal youth jobless due to imposition of irrational policies at Torkham border.
The speakers said that the mentioned organisations through bribing or suppressing few ‘corrupt’ elders intended to usurp their land and leave them unemployed but they would not succeed in their plans.
They warned that if the issue was not settled with real representatives and property owners of the tribe through dialog, there would be no option for them but to forcibly get possession of their properties.
The protesters while holding black flags and chanting slogans including ‘go NLC go’ and ‘down with land grabbers’ marched toward Landi Kotal Press Club where they dispersed peacefully.
AHMAD NABI