KHYBER: Eleven persons received injuries here on Wednesday when police clashed with protesting Khugakhel tribesmen after the protesters blocked the main road leading to Torkham in reaction to arrest of more than 40 tribesmen.

The injured included six policemen and five protesters, according to sources.

Officials said that the angry protesters resorted to stone pelting when police tried to reopen the near Landi Kotal bazaar. Police also resorted to firing in the air to scare away the protesters, numbering in hundreds.

Hospital staff, however, said that injuries to both the police and protesters were not of serious nature and all the injured were discharged after provision of first aid medical service to them.

The local traders and shopkeepers also closed their shops to show solidarity with the Khugakhel tribesmen, who are demanding signing of an agreement with Federal Board of Revenue and National Logistic Cell with the commandant of Khyber Rifles as a guarantor to pay them compensation for the additional land acquired for construction of customs terminal at Torkham and adequate share in the monthly income from the terminal along with jobs to youth of the tribe.

The protester had on Tuesday stopped construction of the terminal and established a protest camp at the site. Police late in the evening uprooted the camp and arrested 41 Khugakhel tribesmen.

Khyber Siyasi Ettehad along with some local elders and MPA Shafeeq Sher held negotiations with officials of the district administration, police and security officials to defuse the tension.

An official told Dawn on condition of anonymity that they agreed to free all the arrested tribesmen along with persuading NLC to fulfil its commitments made with the Khugakhel tribe, the collective owner of the land at Torkham acquired for construction of a customs terminal in 2016.

The official, however, said that the tribesmen’s demand for re-establishing their protest camp at the terminal site was turned down.

Meanwhile, trading activities at Torkham border remained temporarily suspended on Wednesday due to the road blockade.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2021