PESHAWAR, Dec 18: Some Darpa Khel tribesmen have accused the Tochi Scouts of occupying more than 4,000 acres of their land and said that the force has already started construction over it. Haji Pasham Din Khan urged the authorities to stop construction work at the disputed site, saying that an arbitration committee set up by the political authorities in 2002 had acknowledged their right over the piece of land.

He said that former political agent of North Waziristan Mushtaq Jadoon had struck an agreement with the tribesmen in the light of the committee’s decision.

“The decision of the committee was not fair but we accepted it to ease the tense situation at that time,” he said, adding the authorities did not keep their promise.

“The question is why do they need 4,000 acres of land here?” Pasham Din said, adding: “Is it because it is fertile? Is it because wheat cultivation over the same land earned them Rs700,000 this year alone?”

Tribal elder said the British government back in 1901 had acquired only 100 acres of land to build a fort and an airfield.

“Till they were here, they kept their agreement and paid the decided Rs1000 per month as lease money to us,” he said. Pasham Din said that after independence when the fort and the airfield came under Pakistan’s control, the tribe received no money in this regard.