Political administration blamed for aiding land grabbers

Elders of Masori tribe of Kurram Agency (KA) have blamed political administration for supporting land grabbers in the area and demanded of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to stop construction of sports stadium and other buildings on their land. Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday the elders led by Qasim Jan said that his tribe had a joint land property measuring over 4000 Kanals but an influential person Shah Gul Afridi had forcibly occupied a portion of the property in connivance with political administration.
He said that keeping in view the dispute local elders had decided to halt construction on the disputed land but despite that the influential person Shah Gul had grabbed the land for the construction of residential units and had also allowed the construction of sports stadium on the grabbed land. Mr Qasim Jan said that tribal people did not oppose the construction of school and sports stadium but the buildings were constructed at a considerable distance from local population therefore no one would be able to take advantage of these facilities on every day basis.
"We have time and again contacted the concerned officials to suspend the construction of sports stadium and school at the disputed land but to no avail. The political administration is also supporting the alleged land grabber," he said and added that the construction work was carried out at night to evade public resistance and outcry.
He said government should immediately suspend all construction work on the sports stadium till final decision about ownership of the land. He also demanded demolishing of the under construction sports stadium because the land had not been purchased for the purpose so far.
Similarly, some other elders including Nawab Gul and Muhammad Lateef has said that the barren land was basically owned by four groups of tribal people and one of them had already occupied its share but rest of the three were yet to divide the joint property.
They warned that in case the government failed to accept their demands the tribal people would be left with the only option to start protest demonstrations in Peshawar and Islamabad.