Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: On Saturday, a local Jirga resolved a two-decade-long property dispute between two cousins from a renowned religious family in the Ashkhel village of Landikotal district, Khyber.
Sayed Suliman Benuri, a member of the Youth Parliament of Pakistan, told this scribe that they had a land dispute with their cousin Sayed Muhammad Umar Benuri and his brothers. He said the case was in court for the past several years but could not come to an end. He said many times it caused clashes and scuffles with each other.
Suliman said they were very thankful to the tribal jirga who within a short period of time resolved the long-awaited land dispute due to which their time and money were wasted.
The Jirga members consisted of Awami National Party(ANP) leader Ayub Shinwari, Istihkam-e- Pakistan district Khyber president Muhammad Islam Shinwari, the Qari Ejaz, Qari Najmuddin, Haji Nisar, Farid Shinwari and others.
Sayed Taufiq Benuri and Sayed Muhammad Benuri, the two rival cousins, praised the role of jirga and said that they accepted the jirga decision wholeheartedly and would remain peaceful.
They said a road in the village and a pedestrian path remained closed for years due to the land dispute.
Suliman applauded the jirga efforts and said that the government must strengthen tribal jirga, giving them a quick remedy in a long-awaited dispute.
He said the situation could have gone to gun conflict and hostilities between the cousins’ families if not resolved.
Meanwhile, Sayed Muhammad Umar Benuri, his relatives, and the jirga members reopened the road after twenty years in the general public interest.