]MOHMAND: Residents of Durbakhel in district Mohmand’s Halimzai tehsil on Friday blocked the Peshawar-Bajaur Highway in protest against the proposed acquisition of Landai Jor land for government use, demanding that the decision be withdrawn.

A large number of tribal elders, local notables, youth and residents participated in the protest, carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the proposed land acquisition.

Addressing the gathering, protesters said the Landai Jor land was the primary source of livelihood for the local population and that many families owned only small land holdings.

They warned that the construction of government facilities on the land would displace several families and force them to migrate.

The protesters said no decision regarding the land would be acceptable without prior consultation with the local community. They vowed not to relinquish their ancestral land and pledged to pursue all legal and democratic means to protect their rights.

The road blockade led to long queues of vehicles on the busy highway, causing inconvenience to commuters and travellers.

The protest ended after assistant commissioner Upper Mohmand Sikandar Afzal and DSP Jan Mohammad held negotiations with the demonstrators. Following assurances by the officials, the protesters agreed to reopen the highway until Tuesday to allow further talks.

Speaking to reporters, the assistant commissioner said the land had already been acquired for the construction of a District Judicial Complex, Police Lines and a District Prison. He said 150 kanals had been acquired for the Judicial Complex, 200 kanals for the Police Lines and 300 kanals for the District Prison.

Mr Afzal said the government had revised the compensation for the acquired land, increasing the rate from Rs300,000 per kanal to Rs1.45 million per kanal. He alleged that a handful of individuals were attempting to obstruct the process despite the enhanced compensation package. He said negotiations with the protesters would resume on Tuesday and expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved amicably through dialogue and mutual understanding.

Repeated attempts were made to contact the deputy commissioner Mohmand for the district administration’s version on the matter, but no response was received.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026