UPPER DIR, Oct 3: Residents of Chukiatan staged a demonstration and blocked Dir-Peshawar and Dir-Barawal roads in protest against ‘illegal transfer’ of their land to the Nawab of Dir.

The district officer revenue, a tehsildar and a clerk allegedly transferred people’s land to the Nawab. DOR Aqal Badshah was later transferred over the alleged conspiracy and district coordination officer was given additional charge of the DOR.

Hundreds of people were affected in the process of widening and improving the Chukiatan-Barawal road. The government had assured them that they would be compensated. However, Nawab of Dir with the help of DOR, tehsildar and clerk Zafar Iqbal got the land transferred in his name to get the compensation amount.

The area people met the DOR and asked him to prepare the compensation awards in the name of affected people. They also warned the DOR against giving favour to the Nawab.

Addressing the protest rally, UC Chukiatan Nazim Javed Akhtar, PML provincial vice-president Farhad Ali, Mian Rustam Yousaf, Sher Wali, Mian Jan Yousaf, Masihullah and others alleged that DOR and tehsildar offices were involved in corruption.

They said the district nazim and DCO had fixed Rs402,000 per kanal as compensation, but the DOR reduced it to Rs240,000. The DOR, they alleged, also showed in record the affected people’s land as Nawab’s property.

They said that some officials were pledged half of the compensation amount provided they transferred the land to the Nawab.

Upper Dir District Nazim Sahibzada Tariqullan, the district police officer and town UC nazim Mohammad Amir Shaheen also came to Chukiatan to join the protest.

The district nazim said that the DOR had been transferred. “He tried to impose his will on the people,” he said, adding that the district government would not tolerate such behaviour. The nazim pledged to compensate the affected people.

The residents ended their protest after the district nazim and DPO assured them that they would be compensated for their land.