KHYBER: The elders of protesting Kukikhels announced on Monday to hold a large public meeting in August to press government for acceptance of their demands about return of displaced families, reduction in duration of power outages and resolution of land dispute with Peshawar Development Authority.

Addressing a crowded news conference at Jamrud Press Club, Kukikhel elders Malak Naseer Ahmad, Barkat Katiyakhel, Ahmad Shah Maniyakhel, Malak Zarab Abdalkhel, Malak Khan Afzal Mandukhel and others also announced to hoist black flags atop their houses during the country’s 76th Independence Day celebrations to register their protest and annoyance over not fulfilling their ‘legitimate’ demands by the government.

They called upon the provincial government and Tesco to amicably resolve through negotiations the issues of phased-wise return of remaining Kukikhel displaced families, provision of six hours of electricity to domestic consumers and the dispute over their land acquired by Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) for Regi Lalma Model Township.

With their protest sit-in completing its three weeks on Monday, the Kukikhel elders pledged to continue with their peaceful protest at the historic Bab-i-Khyber till they were approached by the relevant government departments.

Elders seek return of displaced families, reduction in power outages and resolution of land dispute with PDA

They alleged that return of the remaining Kukikhel families was abruptly suspended without citing any reasons. They said that Tesco backtracked on its written pledge of supplying them with six hours of electricity on daily basis while PDA and Peshawar district authorities were dragging their feet on revival of the historic Messi Griffith Award boundary line agreement of 1912 between Peshawar and the then Khyber Agency.

The Kukikhel elders also demanded compensation and rent for their properties occupied by the security forces in Rajgal and surrounding localities of Tirah valley. They said that they would send invitations to leaders of all major political parties for their participation in the public meeting, a date for which would be announced soon.

Meanwhile, a 5-days training workshop on social harmony, organised by Community Resilience Activity (North) in Speen Drand for the recently returned families from upper Bara, ended on Sunday.

About 25 representatives of as many families from Tharkho Kas, Speen Drand, Nangrosa and Malakano Kallay participated in the workshop which was also part of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged irrigation channels in these areas.

CRA representative Dr Asfandyar Marwat told the participants that CRA-North was working to promote social harmony, peace and unity among the local communities alongside reconstructing irrigation channels for the collective benefits of farmers.

Also in upper Bara, the Secours Islamique France (SIF) started work on reconstruction and restoration of the water channel, connecting Sandana village with Sheikh Mali Baba through land and overhead water channels.

Farmers in these localities said that large swaths of their barren lands would benefit from the completion of the said project. They said that thousands of acres of their fertile lands had become barren and an abode for different wild species during their decade-long displacement owing to militancy in different parts of Tirah and Bara.

Published in Dawn, Aug 1st, 2023