PESHAWAR: The tribal elders belonging to Alam Gudar area of Bara in Khyber Agency have expressed concerns over construction of buildings on a disputedlandin BaraBazaar.

They said that people of Bara would have only option to stage a sit-in outside the office of political agent if administration did not take them into confidence regarding the matter.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, tribal elder Haji Haya Khan said that the local residents had made commitment that they would not cause any kind of dispute, particularly relating to land properties, with the administration after three years of post-militancyin the region.

Similarly, he said, it was decided that those violating the agreement would have to pay penalty of Rs50 million and their houses would also be destroyed.

He said that local people fulfilled their commitment but political administration violated it by starting construction on disputed land to facilitate some in fluential people.

Accompanied by other elders including Haji Janas Khan, Haji Yayha Khan, Haji Rasool Shah and Eng Gul Madar, Haji Haya Khan said that political administration had stopped construction in Bara Bazaar a decade back. It was started again by taking full advantage of prevailing circumstances in the area, he added.

The tribal elder said that local residents didn`t react to the illegal construction as they were abiding by the agreement to avoid any law and order situation and implication in fake cases.

`We want peaceful resolution of the issue. Justice must be delivered to peo-ple of Alam Gudar,` said Haya Khan.

He urged traders and constructors to abstain from making investment in Bara Bazaar until cases of disputed lands were settled.

The tribal elder accused the political administration and head of Sipah tribe Malik Mohammad Ali of occupying their land with the help of law enforcers. He said that decisions were being imposed on tribal people without taking them into confidence.

Haya Khan demanded imposition of penalty of Rs50 million on Malik Mohammad Ali, along with demolition of the houses of those found involved in violation of the agreement. Besides, he also called for immediate halt of construction work on disputed lands in Bara bazaar.

The tribal elder urged Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif, Director General ISPR Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra to help in resolving the long-standing dispute peacefully.