Daily Times

KHYBER AGENCY: The tribesmen of Khuga Khel held a demonstration on Sunday at Bacha Square in Landi Kotal Bazaar against grabbing of their property and other malpractices of National Logistic Cell (NLC) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Torkham.

They demanded Army Chief and other authorities to prevent seizure of their lands.

The rally was carried out by Khyber Siyasi Ittehad (Khyber Political Alliance) merged by an influx of tribesmen, political workers and elites of the area. In their address to the rally, political leaders including Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) President Fazal-ur-Rehman, FATA general secretary Mufti Ijaz, Khyber Agency Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) President Hazrat Wali Afridi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) FATA leader Abdurraziq Shinwari, FATA Pakistan Democratic and Justice Party(PDJP) president Daulat Shah Afridi, FATA PPP Youth Wing president Gulbahadar Afridi, Zakria Shinwari, Zerqeeb Shinwari and others claimed that NLC and FBR grabbed the lands of Khuga Khel tribe without their consent.

“Except the agreement signed by NLC on June 4, 2015 that was unanimously rectified by the Khuga Khel tribe, no other agreement is acceptable to us,” they said.

They accused that anti-tribal policies were imposed at Torkham border that left hundreds of tribal people jobless and despite the fact that the constitution guarantees livelihood of the people of the country.

The speakers alleged that NLC and FBR paid bribe and suppressed tribal elders to usurp their lands.

They warned that if their issues are not resolved within a week, they would be left with no other option except to forcibly occupy their property. They threatened to initiate agitation at the Pak-Afghan border in Torkham.

The protesters chanted slogans “go NLC go” and “down to land grabbers” while holding black flags, they marched to Landi Kotal press club where they dispersed peacefully.

Published in Daily Times, April 23^rd 2018.