KOHAT, Aug 26: The authorities are considering constitution of an independent jirga for the peaceful settlement of 42 years old land dispute between two tribes of Kohat district and Orakzai Agency.

Kohat Commissioner Khalid Khan Umerzai convened a high level meeting to discuss and settle the issue once and for all. The meeting was attended by Orakzai Agency Political Agent Riaz Mahsud, Kohat District Coordination Officer Shahidullah Khan and Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdullah Khan.

Mr Umerzai told the officials that an independent jirga was the only option to resolve the matter because its decision would be acceptable to all the stakeholders. He appealed to the elders of both the tribes not to create impediments in the way of peace efforts being made by the administration and stop attacks on each other immediately.

The occupation of few hundred kanals of land by the Bezote tribesmen of Orakzai Agency at the border of Muhammadzai village of Kohat had claimed several precious lives since 1968. The first clash occurred in 1971 when the government created Orakzai Agency by including some parts of Kohat, Hangu and Kurram Agency into it.

After few years an armed struggle was started against Bezote tribesmen by Muhammadzai tribe to take back its land. The struggle was named after Ghazi Rajab Khan, an elder of Muhammadzai who lost his life while fighting against Bezote tribesmen.

The followers of Ghazi Rajab Khan have been demanding expulsion of Bezote tribesmen, who according to them have established wholesale business of selling and storing hashish in the stores constructed on the disputed land.

Last week, Muhammadzai tribesmen lost a member after burning the stores and houses of Bezote tribesmen in a late night attack.

The dispute between the tribes intensified when huge reserves of fine quality coal were discovered in the area, prompting both of them to pick up arms against each other to grab more land.

ROBBED: Unidentified armed men deprived officials of a non governmental organisation of cash and cellular phone sets in Kamal Khel area on Thursday.

The ten-member team of Peace, an NGO engaged in health related activities in Kohat district, was coming from Kamal Khel after completing vaccination in the area when armed men snatched Rs23,000 and three mobile phones from them at gunpoint.

The NGO head lodged a case against unidentified robbers in Bilitang police station.