LAKKI MARWAT: The landowners and elders from Wanda Jogi and other rural areas of Darra Pezu town have demanded of the district government to press the management of Lucky Cement factory for paying them rent for using their land.
The demand was made during a meeting at the District Headquarters Complex, Tajazai, here on Friday.
The participants totaling around 60 later gathered outside the offices of the district nazim and naib nazim to stage a protest against the factory’s management over non-payment of the surface rent.
They insisted that the cement factory was using sand, clay and other substances from their lands and mountains but didn’t pay them the due surface rent.
They said eight sub-tribes and clans of Wanda Jogi and other rural areas owned the local lands and mountains and therefore, they had the right to surface rent.
Gul Mohammad and Ghulam Nabi said the rights of landowners had been usurped by the factory and therefore, the local government and administration should step in step in for corrective measure.
They claimed that they repeatedly requested the factory’s management for the payment of surface rent, but to no avail. The landowners warned that they would force the factory to stop operation if they’re not paid surface rent.
District naib nazim Haji Arab Khan later met them and promised to take up the matter with the local administration and factory management for early resolution of their grievances.
When contacted, Lucky Cement factory deputy general manager Mohammad Anwar Tariq claimed that the factory management hadn’t usurped the rights of anyone nor had it constituted any committee for the payment to surface rent to landowners. He said the management was ready to hold talks with the people if they produced valid documents of ownership with them.
MAN KILLED: A man was killed over a property dispute in Mela Shahabkhel village here on Friday.
Jamila Bibi told the police that her husband, Mumtaz Khan, was gunned down by Akram Khan when he was taking her to a hospital in Lakki city for treatment.
The police handed over the body to the family after fulfilling legal formalities. They later registered a case against the suspected killer under Pakistan Penal Code’s Section 302 (premeditated murder) and began investigation.
However, the police didn’t arrest the suspect until night.
SHUHADA PACKAGE: The family of martyred policeman Asmatullah Khan received the Rs10 million compensation under the Shuhada Package here on Friday.
Constable Asmatullah was martyred during an exchange of fire between law-enforcement agencies and miscreants in Wanda Aurangzeb village of Kurram Par area in May last year.
District police officer Asif Gohar distributed cash among the fallen policeman’s widow, father, mother and three sons.
Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2019