KOHAT, Aug 31 The armed activists of Muhammadzai Welfare Organisation have blocked Bezote route, which connects Orakzai Agency with Kohat and Peshawar, for traffic causing immense trouble to tribesmen.

The members of the organisation told Dawn on Monday that they blocked the road for all kinds of traffic after unidentified persons attacked their checkpost with explosive device six days ago. They were patrolling the disputed area when the device went off.

They alleged that Bezote tribesmen were behind the blast who had illegally occupied their land and constructed buildings and houses there.

It may be recalled here that despite many clashes the tribesmen had not vacated the land therefore now the residents of Muhammadzai area of Kohat had decided to close the route for them.

The dispute between Bezote tribe and the people of Muhammadzai arose in 1971 when Rajab Khan, an elder of the area, asked the tribesmen to vacate their land. Later, the residents of Muhammadzai turned the dispute into an armed movement to expel the tribesmen.

A police official on duty at the Bezote Fort said that 15 to 18 armed men belonging to the organisation had put big stones on the road.

He told this scribe by telephone that people especially women and children were facing great trouble owing to blockade of the road.

Earlier they only checked vehicles to arrest Bezote tribesmen, who had abandoned the route long ago. But on Monday they completely blocked the road stopping all kinds of traffic between Orakzai to Kohat, Peshawar and Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency.

Interestingly the political administration of Orakzai Agency and the district administration of Kohat were completely unaware of the situation developing in the area for the last six days. No efforts had been made to open the road which had been blocked by the organisation's gunmen.

CRACKDOWN URGED The law enforcement agencies have been asked to launch crackdown against the clerics belonging to Afghanistan who are supporting terrorists in Kohat region, official source say.

The security authorities had asked police to search and arrest those clerics who participated in Afghan war and then migrated to Kohat and settled there as prayer leaders.

Officials said that the decision had been taken after the rising number of suicide attacks and terrorist activities in Kohat region over the last few months.

Meanwhile, security agencies had sealed all the entry points at the borders between the tribal areas and suspicious people were being monitored round the clock.