KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): More than 200 disputes among tribes over land, mountains, pasture and deserts exist in southeastern Khost province, also affecting government’s affairs, an official said on Sunday.
Khost Justice Department director Maulvi Lahore Khan Wafadar in an interview told Pajhwok Afghan News that some disputes spanned over decades. In this regard, he cited the dispute between Sabario and Balkhel tribes as an example.
He said the two tribes had a 28-year-old dispute over ownership of a mountain and had many times entered armed clashes.
He said: “The two tribes had friendly ties in the past and have blood relations, but now they are sitting in trenches to shoot each others.”
He said many youths had been killed on both sides and each was trying to inflict casualties on the other.
He said the enmity between the two tribes had created unrest in the society and the elders provoked their youths to fight and created hatred in their mind.
There were hundreds of similar disputes in the province and they had also affected the government’s affairs, he said.
He suggested that in addition to judicial organs, a provincial commission should be set up to deal with such issues on time.
He said the disputes among tribes had created a headache for government departments and had engaged security forces, intelligence and judicial organs.
“Whenever there is a clash between rival tribes, security forces have to intervene.”
Maulvi Lahore Khan Wafadar said a number of land dispute cases were under investigation in judicial organs and some had been resolved and others being addressed.
Besides Khost, land disputes are common in other provinces as well. However, the incumbent government has started efforts to resolve them.
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