Tribesmen block Hangu-Kohat road to protest police ‘excesses’

HANGU: The Orakzai tribes on Monday blocked the Hangu-Kohat road for traffic by placing the bodies on the road to protest the police ‘excesses’ in the land dispute in Ghiljo area in Ismailzai tehsil in upper part of Orakzai tribal district.

Speaking at the protest sit-in at Babar Mela opposite to the Orakzai headquarters, Malik Izzat Gul, Malik Khan Gul and others said that three persons belonging to Sheikhan, Daradar Mamazai, Rabiakhel and Mushti were killed but the police registered cases against the victim tribes.

They said it was an injustice with the affected tribes as three persons were killed and cases were also lodged against them.It may be mentioned that two persons were killed and another one sustained injuries during a clash over property in Ghiljo area in Ismailzai tehsil in upper part of Orakzai tribal district on Sunday.

It was learnt that a dispute had been running between the Akhel tribe and Daradar Mamazai, Rabiakhel and Sheikhan and Mushti tribes over a piece of land known as Mulla Pattay.Several jirgas were convened to resolve the issue but these yielded no positive results.

The two slain persons identified as Khan Zaib belonged to Mushti tribe and Shafiq to Sheikhan tribe while Itibar Gul had seriously injured in the clash but he later also succumbed to his injuries.

The violent tribal people had also torched several vehicles following the clash.The speakers asked the police to quash the cases against their tribesmen, release the arrested people and register first information reports against the people of Akhel tribe or else they would not bury the dead.

They also demanded the suspension of a police inspector for his alleged partial role in the clash.Passengers faced great hardships due to blockade of Hangu-Kohat road and suspension of traffic. It may be mentioned that the Orakzai tribes had also clashed over the disputed land a few years ago in which several persons had been killed and many others injured.The local elders have demanded the government to resolve the land dispute once and for all so no precious lives could be lost in future.