KOHAT: The elders of Sheraki tribe of Darra Adamkhel here on Sunday accused the district administration of siding with Sheikhan tribe of Kohatin their dispute over the ownership of a mountain.

Malik Sardar Khan Afridi, Malik Shaukat Hussain Afridi, Ameer Khan Afridi and Rosham Khan Afridi of Sheraki tribe told a press conference in Kohat Press Club that they had been jailed in a false kidnapping case.

They said that Javed Panji advocate did not appear in the hearings, accusing him of prolonging the case with the connivance of the police. They claimed that Sheikhan tribe wanted to blackmail them by demanding cash damages for quashing the FIR. They said they were on bail in the case filed on January 18, 2022.

The elders of Sheraki tribe alleged that the deputy commissioner was siding with the Sheikhan tribe and not calling a joint jirga of both the tribes to resolve the row between them over ownership of a mountain.

When contacted, Shiekhan tribe head Al Hamid said the DC should decide the mountain demarcation dispute in the light of the centuries-old revenue record.

He said the DC had called him a few ways ago to his office to discuss the case, but put him behind bars under 3 MPO. He was released after his companions staged a protest in front of his office.

MELA CONCLUDES: A three-day Gumbat smiling mela, wheelchair race of special persons, squash and boxing championships among Kohat teams and provincial basketball finals concluded here on Sunday.

District Development Advisory Committee chairman MPA Ziaullah Bangash lauded the courage of the participants.

The Gumbat smiling mela brought the villagers closer and the people had the opportunity to win prizes. The organizer, Tariq Mehmood, said the second mela was held without spending a penny.

In the basketball final, Kohat defeated Peshawar. The boxing championship held between Afridi and Paya Jawaki teams was won by the former. Usman Khan emerged as winnr in the squash final.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2022