CHITRAL: The administration officials and the police of the Ghizar district of Gilgit-Baltistan entered the boundary of Upper Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday and razed the wall of the community corral in the Shandur pasture, which was being raised by the residents of Laspur valley for sheltering their cattle at night.

Laspur village council chairman Mohammad Wazir told Dawn that senior officers of the district administration and police of Ghizar entered the boundary of Chitral with a heavy contingent of police and demolished the structure.

He alleged the policemen and officials harassed the women and children grazing their cattle in the pasture and took with them three to four goats. He said the incident created tension among the residents of Laspur valley, but they restrained themselves from responding to the provocation as it would heighten tensions in the area, and have instead asked the KP government to provide them with protection.

Mr Wazir said residents of Laspur valley grazed their cattle in the pasture of Shandur during the summer season, where they needed a community corral to protect their cattle against rains and predators at night. They said they had undertaken the project with the financial assistance of an NGO.

When contacted, the Upper Chitral district police officer told Dawn that the matter related to the district administration and the police would take action if suggested by the administrative officials.

The Upper Chitral deputy commissioner didn’t respond to the calls and text messages on his phone to know his version of the incident, while additional DC and assistant commissioner had their cellular phones switched off as they had gone to the Shandur pasture.

Meanwhile, elders of Laspur valley, including Dr Inayatullah Faizi, Sher Azam Khan, Qalandar shah, Shahabuddin Advocate and former district nazim Maghfirat Shah, in separate statements condemned the incident.

They termed it a conspiracy to create tensions between the two regions, and thereby fan hatred and abhorrence among the brethren residing in the two areas, who have a common language, history and culture.

They alleged that some activists in GB were fanning the tension between the two areas.

Ghizar DC also could not be contacted on phone to know his version of the incident.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2024