PESHAWAR: Elders of Masori tribe of Kurram Agency have accused the political administration of supporting a land grabber, and demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to stop construction of a sports stadium and a school on a disputed piece of land.

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Saturday, the elders led by Qasim Jan said the tribe had a joint land property measuring over 4,000 kanals, but an influential person, Shah Gul Afridi, had forcibly occupied a portion of it in connivance with the political administration.

They said keeping in view the precarious situation, they had decided to avoid construction on the disputed land, but despite that the influential person had started construction of a sports stadium and a school on it.

Kurram tribesmen accuse political administration of supporting land grabber

On the occasion, Qasim Jan said that the tribe did not oppose construction of school and sports stadium, but the projects were at a long distance from the populated areas and no one would be able to take advantage of these facilities.

“We have time and again contacted the officials to stop the construction at the disputed land, but to no avail, as it is also supporting the land grabber,” he said and added that the construction activity was being carried out at night to avoid public resistance.

The government, he said should stop construction on the sports stadium until the status of the land was decided. He also demanded demolition of the under-construction structures.

The elders said the barren land basically belonged to four groups of people, and one of them had already taken its share, but the rest were yet to divide the property among themselves.

They warned that in case the government failed to accept their demands the tribal people would start protest demonstrations in Peshawar and Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2017