- Locals pin high hopes on district administration to ensure lasting solution to decades-old dispute
By Hamid Khan Wazir
WANA, Pakistan: Warring Nano Khel tribe of Mehsud and Sperkai tribe of Wazir have struck a three-day ceasefire after deadly clashes left two dead and two injured.
It is worth-mentioning here that Wazir Sperkai tribe from Lower South Waziristan and Mehsud Nanokhel tribe from Upper South Waziristan had a conflict over an area between Shakai, Khesura, and Tururram Pull, which remained a constant source of tension between both the tribes since 1935. The then political agent engineered a truce and the disputed zone was declared no man’s land or Pathar-e-Bala (higher stone).
However, in the absence of a permanent solution to the disputed land, fierce fighting had erupted between both the tribes on and off that resulted in claiming around a hundred precious lives from both sides.
During the two days fierce fighting between Sperkai tribe and Nanokhel tribe over a land dispute in Tehsil Shakai claimed two lives one from each side.
Both sides used heavy weapons against each other positions, bringing the routine life to a standstill.
Assistant Commissioner of Wana Yasir Salman Kundi from Lower South Waziristan, Assistant Commissioner Serwekai Umar Khitab from Upper South Waziristan, police, Ulema, Shakai, Tiaraza SHOs, Wana Political Alliance, Wazir and Mehsud tribal elders as well as Shakai Youth Welfare Organization made strenuous and tireless efforts to secure a three-day ceasefire.
After the ceasefire, it was agreed that negotiations between the rival tribes would be held under the supervision of the two district administrations on August 26 to ensure a lasting and permanent solution to the decades-old land dispute.
During this time, both the tribes would vacate their respective trenches, as the SHOs Shakai and Tiarza were tasked to take control of the trenches of their respective sides to main law and order and thwart any untoward incident.
It is pertinent to mention here that the eight-member jirga of Wazir and Mehsud signed an agreement and settled the almost century-old land dispute between Nano Khel and Sperkai tribes back in July 2020.
According to the agreement, the jirga made several rounds of talks and eventually reached an agreement to draw clear boundary lines from all sides of the disputed areas to put an end to the feud once and for all.
The jirga members in the agreement jointly demanded of the local administration to assist them to further fortified the demarcations so as their future generation would never indulge in any such fight ever again.
The prominent members of Jirga were Ghulam Hassan, Habibullah Jan, Haji Layor Khan, Ghazi Muhammad, Sherman, and Haji Dawood Khan from Wazir side, while Miatullah Khan, Haji Shah Mehmood, Asghar Javed, Dr. Noor Khan, and Nasib Khan were from Mehsud side.
All these jirga members signed the historic document; however later on the local administration asked the jirga members to consult other elders of the same tribes in this regard.
Therefore, around 20 elders from each of the tribes including the jirga members signed the final document in the presence of officials of local administration to put an end to any confusion.
The locals expressed optimism that the districts administrations would take tangible and practical steps to ensure implementation of the mutually agreed decision in its true spirit sans any further delay to ensuring lasting peace in the war-ravaged area.
