CHITRAL, Aug 10: A dispute between the people of Chitral and Ghizar districts over the ownership of a pasture near the Shandur polo ground has erupted again and it is feared that it may lead to an armed conflict, residents said.

The grazing land, Langar, spread over 15 kilometres near the Shandur Pass, has been in the possession of the people of Laspur, a border village in Chitral district.

Residents said that the people of Laspur had been grazing their cattle in the pasture for many years now and no claim had ever been laid over it by the people of Ghizar district.

They said when the Shandur festival became an annual event since 1982, the administration of Ghizar district tried to take over the management of the festival from Chitral which was foiled.

The issue was taken to the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and the Ministry of Interior for arbitration in 2001, where it is still pending.

The dispute resurfaced last month when the Ghizar district administration started construction of a rest house at Langar earlier this year.

Sources said that some elements were fanning the pasture issue to create a friction between the NWFP government and the Northern Areas administration.