Residents call for probe into Nangarhar’s Barikab incident

NANGARHAR (Pajhwok): The residents of the Barikab area in eastern Nangarhar province have called for investigations into a clash between the local people and security officials.

They demanded the government to drag the involved officials in the incident to the court of law; local officials confirmed the matter was shared with the IEA’s senior officials.

Some residents in the Barikab area staged a protest against the construction of the new Custom Office’s retaining wall and closed the Torkham-Jalalabad Road for five hours on traffic.

The protest turned violent after residents and security personnel engaged in a clash which caused casualties.

Local tribal elders called for investigations into the incident and asked the government to identify the involved people who caused casualties.

A local tribal elder Malik Niamatullah told Pajhwok Afghan News about 7,000 families of nomads (Kochis) had been living in this area for the past 35 years.

He said: “People from the nomads’ tribe have been living in every province of Afghanistan, we are the settled nomad tribe of eastern Nangarhar province, we demand the government to give the area where we are settled right now to us.”

Menatdar Ahmadzai, another tribal elder of Kochis, said they had been living in this area because they had no other option, the government built schools, seminaries and health centres for them.

Haji Afridi Kochi was another elder, he called on the government to investigate the incident and bring the responsible people to justice.

A local official of Nangarhar province said the situation was under their control, the highway was open for traffic and they reported the incident to IEA high-ranking officials.

Police spokesman Abdul Basir Zabuli told Pajhwok, the clash erupted on the land which is the ownership of the custom office.

He said the residing families were informed about the planned construction works in this area about two months ago when the officials of relevant authorities started their work the local people attacked them with arms.

Zabuli said: “The two months given time elapsed yesterday, when the officials attempted to launch their works some biased people motivated the local Kochis and they attacked the officials, according to reports, two people were killed and four more were wounded at the result of the erupted mutual armed clash.”

Provincial Information and Culture director Seddiqullah Badloun told Pajhwok, that currently, the situation in the region is under control, the issue has been conditionally resolved, the final decision will be made by the leaders of the IEA.

Badloun said: “Some corrupt media outlets spread false propaganda about the revolt of local Kochis which was far from reality. It was decided between the two sides the work and protest both would be stopped and the issue was referred to senior official for final decision.”

The disputed area belongs to the 5^th farm of Nangarhar’s Canal Project and the government decided to allot the area to the new customs office.

Aw/nh