Afghan family seeks protection in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: An orphan young Afghan citizen along with his mother and young siblings is constantly on the run in Pakistan for years as forced occupiers of his family’s ancestral land have been pursuing to perish them so that they may not return to Afghanistan.

Ahmad Khan Wahidi, a 23-year-old resident of Musayi district of Kabul, has been living for more than 15 years in Pakistan, where he shifted along with his family after the death of his father.

The basic reason for Ahmad and family taking refuge in Pakistan was to save their lives as a land grabbing mafia group forcibly occupied their ancestral land in the village. The powerful land mafia group set their house on fire and Ahmad’s family had a hairbreadth escape. They relocated to their relatives’ house in downtown Kabul but the land grabbers pursued them and constantly threatened to kill them. Seeing no other option, Amhad’s mother along with her children migrated to Pakistan and took up residence in a mud house in Peshawar’s outskirts.

During all these 15 years, Ahmad and family’s life has been a story of miseries and agonies. With no source of income, the family had to live by alms of community members. The situation compelled the seven years old Ahmad to start working as a day worker at different markets and shops in Peshawar’s Karkhano market to earn paltry sums to support family’s sustenance.

Born as well-to-do and landed Afghans, Ahmad’s family has had to bear ineffable problems while in Pakistan. Finding himself in increasing agony, Ahmad decided to return to Afghanistan and get hold of the family’s property in 2018.

However, when he went there, he saw his family property completely encroached by occupiers. He held a Jirga with the occupiers through the area’s elders but it did not make any way for him as the occupiers refused to return the property and proceeds from its agricultural production and rents.

Rather they tried to attack Ahmad, who was advised by the elders to return to Peshawar. He did so but unfortunately his Afghan enemies traced him in Peshawar and have been constantly harassing, intimidating and threatening him to either give up his property in writing to them or else be prepared for death. In the meanwhile, he has been trying to get the help of Afghan authorities but to no avail as the land mafia members have strong links in Afghan regimes.

Now facing imminent threat of being killed and with no financial resources, Ahmad and other family members are on the horns of a dilemma where to flee and what to do.