TIMERGARA: Elders of Osakhel tribe on Friday alleged that the district administration had been favouring the tenants of Shatai Darra by using delaying tactics to implement the court’s order on demarcation of the disputed land in the area.

Addressing a demonstration outside the office of the deputy commissioner in Lower Dir, the elders, including Malik Aslam Pervez, Malik Bakhtawar Jan, Malik Farooq Iqbal and Malik Umar Sadiq, alleged that the tenants of Shatai Darra had long been disobeying the Supreme Court orders on the disputed land.

They urged the provincial chief minister, the Peshawar corps commander, Peshawar High Court chief justice and Dir Scouts commandant to step in for their relief and said they would stage more demonstrations if the administration’s inaction on the matter continued.

The elders assured protesters that the matter would soon be resolved in line with the court’s order.

Later, they dispersed peacefully.

The people of Khaima and Shatai had been in litigation on the land dispute since 1972.

The elders of Khaima claim the case has been decided in their favour, while those of Shatai Darra claim that the court has made them the owner of the land.

In April 2013, the district administration had begun the land’s demarcation but the people of Shatai Darra got it stopped by securing a stay order from the court.

HOUSE GUTTED: A house was gutted when a fire broke out at Luqman Banda village near Khal on Thursday night.

The fire erupted in the house of Balo Khan destroying 15-tola gold ornaments, Rs160,000 cash and other household items.

The people put out the fire in more than three hours.