SWAT: Security officials on Tuesday rejected as ‘misleading’ the concerns by a local jirga regarding the possible expansion of the cantonment in Swat, and clarified that a survey currently underway was a routine matter to ensure that maps reflected the latest ground realities.

The clarification was issued in a statement after residents of 13 villages held a jirga at the Dherai ground in Kabal tehsil on Sunday, where they refused to provide their land for what said expansion of the cantonment.

The villagers alleged that a survey was being conducted to acquire around 8,000 kanals of land for expanding the cantonment.

According to security sources, the cantonment board in collaboration with the Survey of Pakistan carried out such surveys annually across all cantonments and nearby areas to ensure that maps reflected the latest ground realities.

“Upon learning of the survey, a former councillor and PTI MPA held a meeting on Oct 27, gathering some local residents,” the statement said. “In this meeting, a false narrative was circulated, alleging the Pakistan Army was attempting to acquire civilian-owned land for the cantonment.”

They reject jirga’s concerns about matter as ‘misleading’

The statement further noted that the Pakistan Army held 995 acres of land in Swat since before 1947. Additionally, in 2016, the army acquired 673 acres of land in other parts of Swat, including Khwazakhela and Kanju and the neighbouring Shangla district for military use, it added.

Following the people’s jirga, the chief executive officer of the cantonment board along with local military officials visited the office of the deputy commissioner to meet with public representatives to clarify that there were no plans to expand the cantonment.

When contacted, Kabal assistant commissioner Aftab Khan clarified to Dawn that he had received an official letter from the cantonment board CEO through the deputy commissioner, which stated that the cantonment board in cooperation with the Survey of Pakistan was conducting a topographic survey to mark residential areas within cantonment limits, not for land acquisition. “I met with the area elders, explained the survey’s purpose, and assured them that the district administration would address any concerns they may have regarding the survey,” he told Dawn.

However, Sultan Ali Khan, chairman of Sama Lar organisation representing the 13 villages, told Dawn that during a meeting with AC Kabal, the elders were shown an official letter from security forces, which allegedly mentioned that additional land (around 8,000 kanals) was required for the cantonment’s expansion. “This letter prompted the jirga, where residents unanimously voiced their refusal to any attempt aimed at the cantonment’s expansion,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2024