Dotani tribe blocks road to seek settlement of land dispute

WANA: Bloodshed between the Zalikhel and Dotani tribes over land dispute is feared as the latter blocked the Wana-Zhob road for traffic on Saturday.

Speaking to protesters, Dr Muhammad Noor Dotani said that they would not reopen the road until and unless their demands, including the distribution of land among various as per the set rules of British era were met.

He said the district administration had promised to settle the land dispute within a week but no progress had been in six months’ time.

Dr Muhammad Noor alleged that district administration was involved in hatching conspiracies to pit Zalikhel and Dotani tribes against each other.

The district administration, he warned, would be held responsible if any untoward incident this time.

It may be mentioned that dozens of persons had been killed and injured in clashes between the Zalikhel and Dotani tribes, the sub-tribes of Ahmadzai Wazir, over a piece of land in Karkanra area in Wana tehsil in South Waziristan tribal district in the past.

The office-bearers of all political parties, including Pakistan People’s Party, Awami National Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat

Ulem-e-Islam, rights organization Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, had also held the incumbent government and district administration responsible for fomenting the clashes in Karkanra area.

They said that both the tribes had produced the documents of ownership of the land of the time when British ruled this part of the country.

However, they alleged the officials of district administration were not accepting the documents to settle the land dispute once and for all.