KOHAT: The armed members of the Sheraki tribe of Darra Adamkhel tribal subdivision on Friday climbed a mountain and started firing at Shiekhan tribe of Kohat on Friday over a land dispute.

However, assistant commissioner, Darra, Younis Khan, SHO Hamayun Khan, tehsildar and other officials reached the scene and stopped the firing.

Later, they held negotiations with the elders to defuse the tension.

When contacted, Mr Younis told Dawn that they had forced the tribesmen to leave the mountains. He said the Sheraki tribesmen had taken the stance that the main road at the foot of the mountain on the Kohat side was their property.

He said the Sheraki tribe had filed a suit in the civil court, which had issued a stay order.

Mr Younis said the local administration had bound both the tribes to submit cash guarantees, which would be confiscated if they resorted to firing.

Mr Hamid, a resident of Sheikhan, told Dawn that the Sheraki tribe wanted to occupy their village, which according to the revenue record, was the property of their elders. He said the Sheraki tribesmen had been resorting to indiscriminate fire at the Sheikhan tribe’s members for last three days.

PROTEST: The office-bearers of the labour union of a local cement factory held a protest demonstration at the Martyrs Square on Friday, demanding re-hiring of the employees ‘forcibly’ retired by the factory’s management.

On the occasion, the union’s president Waseem Afridi said the factory administration had retired 50 employees seven years ago without any reason despite the fact that its production had increased four times since its establishment in 1965.

He said under the law, the locals had the first right over jobs in the local industry, but 70 per cent of labour force had been employed from Punjab.

COMMITTEE FORMED: The district administration has constituted a committee to provide legal, monetary and psychiatric support and shelter to the female victims of rape, harassment and violence.

The committee members were announced at a meeting chaired by district social welfare officer Amjid Afridi.

According to a statement, Amjid Afridi said the basic responsibilities of the committee would be to provide relief to the victims of gender-based violence and check harassment cases against them.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2022