Funds’ embezzlement

Mulagori tribespersons seize 13 trucks with smuggled goods

Ashrafuddin Pirzada

LANDIKOTAL: Hundreds of Mulagori tribespersons – men, women and children – staged protest against alleged embezzlement of funds and took into custody 13 trucks loaded with smuggled goods.

During the protest, Jamrud-Mulagori road remained closed from 7am till 2:30pm but later the route was opened for light vehicles.

The protesters chanted slogans against the Khyber Agency administration and Noorul Qadri, member National Assembly (MNA) from NA-45, while carrying banners and placards.

The demonstrators said the political administration was giving the commission funds, which should be equally distributed among the residents, to just two elders who are reportedly the supporters of the MNA.

The protestors stopped construction work on a 17-kilometre road in Mulagori area and took 13 trucks laden with smuggled goods into their possession.

The smuggled goods are usually shifted from Torkham border via Landikotal-Shalman-Mulagori route and stored at godowns in Jamrud.

Sources said the trucks seized by the protestors carried auto spare parts, imported cloth, teabags and timber worth millions of rupees.

Mulagori tribesmen said the political administration officials and MNA Noorul Haq Qadri had allegedly embezzled billions of rupees funds during the last four years.

A protestor, Sabz Ali, said two pro-administration elders, who are also the supporters of the MNA, were being given funds and other privileges but the other Mulagori tribespersons were being deprived of the rights.

He said several complaints were lodged at the office of the assistant political agent, Jamrud for solution to their problems including loadshedding, shortage of drinking water and dilapidated roads, but to no avail.

He said it was unfair that the administration were giving all the compensation and privileges to just two elders and ignoring thousands of Mulagori tribespeople.

He said that if the government did not take action against the mentioned elders, they would stage a protest camp opposite the Parliament House in Islamabad.

Gul said the political agent had announced Rs0.82 million for the reconstruction of house of Muhammad Wali Mulagori and a job in Levies as well but the announcement could not materialise so far. Wali’s house had been washed away by flash floods two years ago.

PML-N Khyber Agency General Secretary Ikramullah Jan Kukikhel criticised the local political tehsildar for ignoring the residents’ problems and asked the government to take notice of it.

Later, the road was opened for general traffic after a Jirga of political administration in Jamrud assured the protesters to solve their problems. However, the trucks were still in the Mulagori tribesmen’s possession till filing of this report.

Tehsildar Shakil was not available for comment while APA Jameel told this scribe that he was unaware of the protest and the issues being faced by the Mulagori tribesmen.