SWAT: The residents of Khwazakhela opposed construction of a bypass road on agricultural lands, saying it would deprive scores of families of the only source of their livelihood.

Addressing a jirga in Khwazakhela on Sunday, they said that they were not against the construction of road but they were against the destruction of their agricultural lands.

“All the owners of the agricultural lands are dependent on farms and orchards for livelihood. The government did not take them into confidence about construction of road. Even people of this area did not know about the bypass but the government imposed Section 4,” said Shamsher Ali Khan.

He said that people were shocked to see that last week a contractor came and started cutting orchards without any prior notice.

The participants of the jirga said that they were surprised to see the construction work started without paying landowners and issuing notices.

“How can a contractor start work on people’s properties without their permission? The contractor cut several peach orchards and hundreds of trees. It is injustice. We asked the district administration. Neither assistant commissioner nor tehsildar or patwari knows about the road construction,” said Rahman Sher Khan.

The local elders said that taking their agricultural lands without their consent was their economic murder. They said that the people of Swat had the first right on their lands and no one could take them forcefully.

“This is not the first time as several times our lands have been taken under Section 4 for various purposes. When a government building is constructed on our lands, even the Class-IV employees are hired from other areas. This time the people of Khwazakhela will not allow government to take their lands,” said Hazrat Khan at the jirga.

The elders said that the people of Khwazakhela were badly affected by militancy and floods and now the government was snatching their lands.

The elders decided to form a committee to hold talks with government. “The committee will decide rates of the land, route and other necessary things. Until agreement, no construction work will be allowed,” they said.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2023