June 10, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 05, 1429

MARDAN, June 9: About 320 families have left Qamargai village for safer places owing to clashes between two groups of alleged outlaws, who are also accused of extorting money from residents of the area.

Several people have been killed from both sides in clashes between Pasham Taj and Fayyaz Halim, who also happen to be close relatives, during the last six months. According to locals both the groups were busy in destroying and occupying properties and belongings of each other.

Residents of the area said that 320 families deserted the village and migrated to other places in the province including Peshawar, Swabi, Swat and Buner.

A woman, who returned to her house in Qamargai after six months, told Dawn that one of her sons Safdar Ali was killed, another Johar Ali was crippled in a raid on her house and the third one was in the custody of police.

The woman said that the entire village was completely deserted and even the mosque remained closed from six months. She added that her two newly-wedded daughters-in-law became widows and no one was left behind to earn bread for the rest of the family.

Most of the houses in the village were destroyed as no body could visit the area, she said, adding even law enforcement agencies personnel were avoiding visit the area. Standing crop of wheat on hundreds of acres was destroyed.