LANDI KOTAL: The Malagori and Tarakzai tribes of Khyber and Mohmand tribal districts have demanded their due share in annual royalty from Warsak Dam alongside an end to loadshedding in their regions and quota in jobs in the dam.

These demands were made during a joint jirga of the elders of the two tribes, held in Warsak village of Malagori tehsil in Jamrud.

Speaking on the occasion, a Tarakzai elder Gul Nawaz Mohmand said that the federal government and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) have intentionally deprived the two tribes of their ‘legitimate’ and ‘constitutional’ share in the Warsak Dam royalty.

He said the dam was constructed on the joint property of the two tribes, situated at both sides of River Kabul flowing in the region. “The construction of dam deprived the two tribes of their source of earning from the river and thus they inked an agreement with Gen Ayub Khan government regarding share in the royalty, free electricity and quota in jobs for the dam,” he added.

He said the then government had agreed for 50 per cent share of Tarakzai tribe, 40 per cent for Malagori and 10per cent for Khalil Momand tribe.

Dam built on joint property of Malagori and Tarakzai tribes

Gul Nawaz Mohmand said that they will raise the issue of royalty at all forums as the successive governments and Wapda had persistently denied them their due share for the last nearly six decades.

A Malagori elder Subedar Sabz Ali said on the occasion that thousands of Malagori, Sheen Sari and Tarakzai families were deprived of electricity and drinking water despite living in close proximity with Warsak Dam. He lamented that Tribal Areas Electricity Supply Company (Tesco) has subjected them to nearly 20 hours of loadsshedding on daily basis while they had to fetch drinking water from natural springs some 15 kilometres from their homes.

“The benefits of the dam are reaped by residents of big cities while we being actual owners of the land are deprived of our legitimate rights,” he regretted.

The jirga through a joint resolution warned of a series of protest demonstrations both in Peshawar and Islamabad if their demands were not accepted forthwith.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2018