CHITRAL, Nov 20: Of late the Chitral police have made headlines not for a good work but for rounding up innocent people of Ayun, putting them behind bars under different sections of the law, even anti-terrorism ordinance, for registering their protest against cutting of trees in their vicinity. But when it comes to protection of property, especially belonging to the poor, the police remain as callous as one can be. [caption id="attachment_5793" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Where we go?"][/caption] A family from Kalash settled in Khairabad locality near Chitral is one case in point whose members are running from pillar to post after their land was occupied by a mafia belonging to Damel. The family said one Mumtaz and his gang from Damel had occupied their land in Khairabad by opening fire and terrorizing the owners. However, the police remain silent to the illegal activity of the occupants who are sitting on the land by pitching tents openly. On Monday, women belonging to the victim family held a protest demonstration near their occupied land but even then the police did not take any action against the accused persons. Residents of the area told chitraltoday.net that the land belonged to the Kalsh family of Mir Bacha, Baz Mir and Wazir Azam. The family owned cattle and in the summer they usually left the area to graze their animals in pastures out of the town. In the meantime, a group of people from Damel occupied their land. The residents said arms and empty shells of bullets had been recovered from the piece of land but the police were still hesitant from taking action against the culprits and protect the property of the Kalash family. The protesting women said their men ahd been requesting the police to register a case against the occupiers of the land but to no avail. They called upon the authorities concerned to take notice of the injustice being meted out to them by the land grabbers as well as the police, who seemed hand in gloves with the accused. Public circles here also said that the police should retrieve the land and hand it over to the Kalash family. When this correspondent contacted the police and asked for the copies of any case if registered against the accused, they did not provide any evidence,]]>
Shame on the district administration!
It is totally unjust and lack of law that the land of the family has been occupied and there is no one to take cation against the occupiers. It shows lack of government writ in the region. It is the duty of the government to protect the lives and property of the people, irrespective of their social status.
Dear G.H.Farooqui, thank you for reporting this news. First of all, this should have not reached this far. The main reason is the compound interests that Kalash borrow from outsiders (specially sudkhors), money lenders who came to the areas after 1979 at the height of Afghan war. Secondly, these are matters that could have been solved immediately as Kalash do not have written documents as majority cannot read and write. No Wasli-Iqrar Nama or papers originate since hundreds of years. This pawning of property is nothing new in Kalash. Educated Kalash should have stepped in long before this happened, as after reading the article I can just say gunpower in the area does work but in a short time. It takes weeks to act there as the area is very remote, months after the district management takes action. Hope I am wrong but human rights organizations are active in the areas, somebody will help. We can just try to spread the message for the time being at least to inform our friends. The power of Net is there if you allow us, we will help but immediate news should reach the young Mehtar and deputy commissioner office as well as the first Chitrali Kalash lawyer as soon as possible.
The district administration and Police must take action against culprits who are terrorising the innocent people.