PESHAWAR, Sept 2: The Military Estates Officer (MEO) has allegedly grabbed more than 296 kanals of the agriculture department land in Parachinar, Kurram Agency.
The agriculture farm, which is the property of the provincial government, had remained in possession of the department since 1943-44, NWFP government officials said.
The NWFP government, the home and tribal affairs department and the agency’s political authorities finally bowed before the Pakistan army and gave up their claim over 296 kanals and nine marlas of farm land located in Parachinar cantt, the agency’s headquarters.
“This occupation is illegal, but unfortunately the provincial government and the governor did not stop the army from annexing the property,” said a senior government official, adding that the MEO had already occupied vast area in the north of the town.
“Only the governor has the power to hand over the property to the army in tribal areas,” home and tribal affairs department officials said.
Sources said the home department and agriculture department had formally withdrawn from the possession of the disputed land, directing the political authorities to separate the 296 kanal land for the military.
Official documents say: “According to the then Governor NWFP letter No. PSG-1(2)BOR/2000/59 dated May 01, 2000, the land at Parachinar, Kurram Agency, is the property of the Government of NWFP. However, the land has been handed over to Pakistan Army.”
A couple of months back, the military authorities dislodged agriculture department staff from the area and cultivated crops, whereas a theatre of the British army was converted into stables.
The sources said the military authorities had also demanded recovery of the revenue generated through auctioning orchards of the farm by the agriculture department in the past.
The colonial empire had allocated over 486 acres in Parachinar cantt to the agriculture farm to improve crops, fruit technology and technical know-how of farmers in the entire tribal region.
The farm was supposed to function as a nucleus for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to distribute orchard plants, seeds and hold exhibitions to motivate local farmers. An orchard was established that roughly generated Rs150,000 for the department annually.
Information gathered by Dawn from various sources revealed that the army, which arrived in Parachinar town, west of Peshawar, in late 1970s, is, at present, in physical occupation of 102 acres. The army has planned to develop training facilities for troops on the land. It laid claim to the farm in Parachinar cantt in 1993.
Revenue department officials said according to a working paper, “the Government of India in the year 1940 had transferred the entire defence land in Parachinar to the Government of NWFP with certain conditions mentioned in the transfer order vide memo: Ko.D-1175-F/40 dated December 16, 1940, from the Deputy Secretary to the Government of India in the External Affairs Department, New Delhi, to the Chief Secretary to the Government of NWFP.”
The DMEO, Kohat circle, claimed that in 1900 the idea of military cantonment in Parachinar was abandoned and a fort, buildings and land vacated by the British troops were handed over to Kurram militia and the political administration for one reason or the other.
During a meeting with the commissioner of Kohat district in July 1993, the DMEO pointed out that the defence land at Parachinar entered against the ownership of ‘Sarkar Daulat Madar’ in the ownership column of the Jamabandi of Muza Parachinar belonged to the Pakistan army.
He argued that ‘Sarkar Daulat Madar’ meant central government which meant Pakistan army, quoting official documents.
However, the revenue staff rejected the definition of ‘Sarkar Daulat Madar’, saying that it meant the state, not the army.
The military authorities accused the officials of the provincial revenue department of manipulating the terminologies in favour of the provincial government which prolonged the dispute.
Army claimed that the land had never been transferred to the provincial government as on record the then local administration did not accept the army’s offer in the past. The details about the offer could not be ascertained, as the MEO officials in Kohat were not available for comments.