Protest against ‘land occupation’ enters second day

LANDIKOTAL: The protest sit-in being staged by Khugakhel tribesmen entered the second day on Tuesday during which they blocked the Landikotal-Torkham against the alleged occupation of their property in Torkham.

A large number of Khugakhel tribesmen gathered at the Bacha Khan Chowk in Landikotal and marched towards the Landikotal bypass road where they had set up the sit-in camp.

They chanted slogans against the National Logistics Cell (NLC) for its alleged occupation of their land.

Sardar Azam Afridi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and MPA Shafiq Sher, Atta Muhammad Khan of Pakistan People’s Party and others visited the sit-in camp and assured the protesters that they would take up their genuine demands with the authorities concerned.

Meanwhile, the Landikotal and Torkham bazaars remained shut for the second day on the call of the Khugakhel elders and Naujawanan-e-Qabail president Israr Khan Shinwari.

The police and paramilitary troops were deployed at Landikotal bypass and in Torkham to maintain calm during the protest.

However, unlike yesterday, no untoward incident took place. Khugakhel tribe elders including Mufti Muhammad Ejaz, Mirajuddin Shinwari, Zakaria Shinwari and Israr Khan Shinwari said the protest and sit-in would be continue until the NLC vacated their property.