CHITRAL: The residents of Rech valley of Upper Chitral district have refuted the allegation of their opponents that they are impeding the implementation of a court verdict about ownership of a pasture in the area.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, Sajjad Zareen, Murad Drust, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Sher Faraz and others claimed that their opponents were trying to win sympathy by uttering false and misleading statements.

They claimed that after losing the case in different courts, their rival party was employing different tactics to seize the disputed land. They said that their opponents’ press conference the other day, where they had levelled allegations against two public persecutors for exerting influence on the police, was also part of their ‘dishonest’ campaign.

The residents claimed that 30 men of their rival group were booked by the police on the orders of a civil court judge under the relevant sections of Pakistan Penal Code when they started illegal constructions on the pasture.

Earlier, the residents claimed that their rivals had laid false claim on the Mughlang pasture of Razakhel tribe in the valley. They said these people had also lost case regarding the pasture.

The residents of Rech valley said that a few elements had disparaged the peaceful atmosphere of the village. They added that each tribe in Rech valley had its own designated pasture, and it was an undeniable fact that Roong pasture belonged to Khoshe tribe, which was also decreed by courts.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2023