Land dispute leaves one dead, four injured in Lower Dir

TIMERGARA: A man was killed while five others, including a police constable, sustained injuries when two groups exchanged fire over a land dispute in Jabagai village in the limits of Balambat Police Station here on Sunday, police and local sources said.

They said two groups exchanged harsh words and clashed over the construction of a house on an alleged disputed land near Balambat irrigation channel in the Jabagai village. Later the two sides exchanged fire after entrenchment against each other as a result of which one Nisar, son of Akbar Khan, was killed while five others, including Constable Suleman, Malik Tufail, Malik Zalan Jamshed, Shakir and Yasir sustained injuries. The injured were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital in Timergara where the condition of all is stated to be out of danger. Member Provincial Assembly Bahadar Khan, Assistant Commissioner Timergara Muhammad Shah Jamil Khan and Deputy Superintendent of Police Farooq Jan held negotiations with the rivals to broker a ceasefire. The land dispute between Osakhel tribe and residents of Shatai Darra is decades-long and it claimed one life from Osakhel tribe in February 2005. Several clashes between the two groups have taken place in the past. District Police Officer of Lower Dir Arif Shahbaz Wazir told reporters that a case was lodged and the investigation was underway.