PESHAWAR: Elders of Khyber Agency’s Afridi tribe have accused the people of Orakzai tribe of grabbing their land properties at Akakhel Okho Kandao and urged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and the relevant authorities to help return possession of the property to them otherwise they will observe a sit-in outside the Governor’s House.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Haji Mohammad Iqbal Afridi said that since the families of Afridi tribe had become internally displaced persons in 2009 their land had been occupied illegally.

Flanked by several other elders, including Ajab Khan Afridi, Abdul Qayyum Afridi, Iqbal Afridi said that the people of Orakzai Agency had also vacated their area during operation against terrorists, but they were allowed to return to homes sooner while the rehabilitation of Afridi people was delayed and thus thousands of acres of their land was occupied.

He alleged that the land grabbers belonged to Ferozkhel tribe of Orakzai Agency who had also harvested entire forests and started construction of houses on that land. “We have contacted the political administration of both Khyber and Orakzai agencies and approached the local elders to seek their help in resolution of the dispute, but to no avail,” he complained.

Iqbal Afridi said that the federal government was least bothered to play its role in development of tribal regions where people were living in very poor conditions due to unavailability of water, power, education and health care facilities.

Similarly, Ajab Khan Afridi of Akakhel area said that if the dispute was not resolved immediately it could lead to feud and the entire responsibility would rest with the political administration and KP governor.

He said that if the possession of land was not returned to them the owners would take up arms against the grabbers. He demanded of the government to immediately form a jirga for resolution of the dispute.

He also said that the movement of the people had become very difficult and even serious patients had to wait at the security checkpoints for hours. “We have rendered sacrifices for this country and the government should give us due rights and respect like other citizens,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2017