Remnants of FCR: Kurram residents decry district admin excesses

Locals laments shortage of water, collect funds to install tube well in area housing 400 families

PESHAWAR: Residents of Kurram Tribal District have accused the district administration of excesses and use of force against civilians protesting peacefully.

Families from Kurram, who had travelled to Peshawar to protest said that owing to the shortage of water, they had to travel great distances to get potable water.

Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Youth Forum member and Kurram Student Organisation President Muhammad Salim told The Express Tribune that he was a resident of the Para Chamkani area of Kurram. He added that locals had collected around Rs3 million to install the tube well in the Ladha area which was expected to provide drinking water to some 400 households.

However, the tribal district administration forcibly stopped them. When the tribespeople protested, the district administration official apparently beat them.

“We have demanded through a written application to the DC office, that it is our right to have water. We even arranged a jirga,” Salim said.

He added that when all other options failed, they collected Rs3 million from own resources.

“When we started digging [for the tube well], our elders were arrested and beaten severely,” he said, adding that they were now protesting in Peshawar against the acts.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2019.