In the wake of dispute in Regi Model Town between Revenue Department and Koki Khel tribe on boundary line, tribal elders from Tehsil Khyber Agency demanded the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Governor form a commission to implement the Maffey-Grift Award in order to resolve the issue.
“Maffey-Grift had demarcated boundary line between District Peshawar and Tehsil Jamrud Khyber agency in 1912 aimed at removing the land dispute in the Regi area,” Barkat Ali Afridi said in a press conference on Friday. “The dispute may produce a clash between Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and the Koki Khel tribe,” he warned.
Maffey was a political agent of the agency while Grift was Deputy Commission (DC) Peshawar.
He said that according to agreement, both British officers had constructed a line between district Peshawar and tribal areas of the Koki Khel tribe. “The demarcation pillars can still be seen but the revenue department was reluctant to implement the division. The lands across the lines are legally owned by Koki Khel tribe,” he said.
Barkat Afridi said that Governor Naseerullah Khan had acknowledged the Maffey- Grift agreement in 1977 and issued directives for the renovation of the boundary pillars. He said the governor had asked the Board of Revenue Peshawar (BRP) to correct its record as per the British officers’ agreement through a letter dated 13 April 1977, which was yet to be implemented.
Flanked by other elders Haji Lal Baz, Haji Syed Wazir, Haji Noor Mazaar, Wareikham Khan and others, he said that the PDA authority blamed tribesmen to create hurdles in Regi Township. “We want the peaceful resolution of the issue through negotiation and talks,” he maintained.
