LANDI KOTAL, Dec 5: Kukikhel elders have expressed dissatisfaction over the role of Khyber Agency political administration in resolution of land dispute between their tribe and Peshawar Development Authority.

They have also approached the Peshawar High Court against the PDA for alleged occupation of the Kukikhel tribe’s 7,000 kanal for Regi Lalma Housing Scheme. The court has fixed December 20 for next hearing, directing the Peshawar administration, PDA administrator and political agent Khyber Agency to submit a report about the Kukikhel’s claim over the disputed land.

The Kukikhels through their counsel Abdul Latif Afridi had argued before the court that the PDA had occupied their land unlawfully though they had legal documents of the land ownership.

The Kukikhel elders told Dawn that political administration of Khyber Agency was using delaying tactics in resolution of the dispute. Barkat Khan, a Kukikhel elder, told this correspondent that the political agent had been pushing them to authorise him without any pre-conditions to settle the issue with the PDA.

“We want to know the conditions on which the political agent like to settle the issue with the PDA, but he was reluctant to share his ‘plan’ with us,” Mr Khan said and added that the Khyber Agency administration was also in possession of the historic document which clearly showed that the PDA had encroached their land.

Malik Faizullah Jan Kukikhel, another elder, said that they had convened a jirga of all sub-tribes of Kukikhel on Dec 16 to devise a collective strategy in response to the political agent’s offer of mediation. “Some elders have reservations about the role of Khyber authorities as they seem to be under the influence of provincial government,” he said.

Mr Faizullah contended that they would make sure that their tribe was not deprived of its ownership of Regi Lalma property.

“The land record is known to all government officials concerned and it was legally binding upon the Peshawar and Khyber administrations to respect this historic fact,” he insisted.