KOHAT: Occupants of the 36,000 kanals government land in Jarma locality of Kohat held a rally on Thursday to demand allotment of the land on which they had constructed houses and using it for agriculture purposes for the last 35 years.

The rally was led by former MPA Dr Iqbal Din Fana, Maulvi Kamal, Faiq Ali Shah Banoori, nambardar Faheem Ali Shah, former nazim Dr Tehseen, former councillor Ghuncha Gul, elders Daud Afridi and Roman Afridi and others.

Speaking on the occasion, they said that on the one hand the government had announced to construct five million houses, on the other it was snatching houses from the poor.

The rally was held on the old Indus Highway and it was attended by the occupants, including people from Darra Adamkhel, Mohmand, Orakzai, Kurram, Waziristan, Kohat and Hangu.

They complained that the staff of revenue department came and demanded bribe from the residents while threatening to vacate the land from the simple tribesmen.

When contacted to know about legal status of the land, tehsildar Arif Khan said the case had been lingering on and they were waiting for the provincial government’s instructions to either grant allotment or get the land vacated. He said according to their record the land had been illegally occupied and it was a sensitive issue as parliamentarians and influential people had got involved.

When asked why 9,000 kanals of the land were allotted during the tenure of ANP government in 2009, he said it was the prerogative of the government to do so.

About the construction of Kohat Model Town, he clarified that the owner had purchased the required land from the 9,000 kanals, which was already transferred in his name.

The area has now become a commercial hub due to the construction of Kohat University, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and other offices besides commercial buildings and hostels.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021