GILGIT: The row over the territorial boundary between Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Kohistan district has flared up once again, leading to suspension of traffic on Karakoram Highway (KKH).
HunzaNewsFebruary 22nd, 2014.
“This time the issue has come up again because residents of Kohistan forcibly took away more than 400 goats from a resident of Diamer. The goats had been grazing on a piece of land to which both regions lay claim,” said Faizullah, a resident of Chilas.
The incident irked residents of Diamer valley and led to protest in the area which resulted in blocking the highway on Thursday.
“The people were already upset over the claim from Kohistanis; the act of stealing of goats has added fuel to fire,” said Mujeebur Rahman, another resident.
The status of nearly 10 kilometers of land on both sides of the Basari check post which separates the two regions is not clear and often leads to unrest between people of Diamer and Kohistan.
This piece of land has become the bone of contention between residents as it involves compensation and royalty in the longer run.
Last month the federal government had to step in and resolve the issue. Although the issue was referred to by the boundary commission for a permanent settlement, Rangers were stationed on the disputed territory to defuse the tension till a decision was made by the commission. This latest incident, however, has taken them back to square one.
On the second day of the protest, the highway remained blocked and there was no traffic between G-B and Rawalpindi. This added to the miseries of the residents and passengers.
Home secretary Dr Attaur Rahman held negotiations and assured those protesting that the issue would be settled soon.
The manager at Natco’s booking office, a government sponsored transport service, said the highway should reopen by Saturday.
Officials from the chief minister’s secretariat said Syed Mehdi Shah was in contact with the federal government and hoped the matter will be sorted soon.Express
