Khyber tribes claim ownership of land near Orakzai border.

LANDI KOTAL -- The Akkakhel and Zakhakhel tribes of Khyber tribal district have made conflicting claims about the ownership of a piece of land situated near the border of Orakzai district.

Speaking at separate press conferences at Bara Press Club, elders of both Akkakhel and Zakhakhel said that the disputed Shadala region was their ancestral property and should be handed over to them.

Akkakhel elders Malak Almas Khan and Mohammad Suhail said that a number of their tribe's families vacated Shadala area when Taliban took control of the region nearly a decade ago.

They said that the displaced families of Akkakhel hailing from Shadala were duly registered with the government departments concerned after their displacement.

They said that Bezoot tribe of Orakzai tribal district later occupied their land and damaged homes as the displaced Akkakhel families were then residing in camps and rented houses in different cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa till 2014.

Elders of both Akkakhel and Zakhakhel seek possession of Shadala area presently occupied by Bezoot tribe

The Akkakhel elders said when they tried to reclaim their homes and lands, the Bezoot tribesmen launched an armed attack on them and killed two of their supporters some two weeks ago.

They accused some influential people of Orakzai of supporting the Bezoot tribe in the illegal occupation of their legitimate properties.

They demanded of the Peshawar corps commander and inspector general of Frontier Corps to help vacate their houses and land from the armed Bezoot tribesmen and deploy Khyber police instead of FC there.

Later, the elders...