Land dispute heightens tension between Taliban, tribal elders

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Tension between Afghanistan ruling Taliban and tribal elders over land dispute has increased in the southern province of Khost province.

Taliban leadership has reportedly sent a high level delegation, led by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Maulvi Noor Mohammad Saqib to the area, for talks with tribal leaders to settle the dispute.

Several tribes, in a meeting in Khost yesterday, asked Taliban to stop selling of Khost land to the people of other areas. They also demanded withdrawal of Taliban, who have come to the area from Taliban headquarters of Kandahar. They say that local Taliban should run affairs of the administration.

The tribal elders have also demanded cutting of forests in the area by Taliban. They complained that revenue from the local land and forests are not being spent on the development of the area.

They complained about the excesses of Kandaharis and called for halt to their illegal actions in the area. Taliban have changed Governor of Khost after he failed to control the situation and appointed Maulvi Shafeeq as new governor. However, the change has not resolved the problem.

This is the second time that tribal elders of southern Afghanistan have aired their differences with Taliban so openly and the controversy may harbinger significant political changes in Afghanistan. Taliban had shot dead at least 8 people when they opened fire on youth, who were playing traditional egg-fighting game.

Khost governor Syed Abdullah Agha says that Taliban authorities will take government land back from the people in the light of a decision by the government.

It is believed that support of the people in southern provinces of Khost, Paktia and Paktika for the peace plan of former Afghan monarch Zahir Shah is the main reason for the controversy between with Taliban. Elders of the three provinces sounded their backing for Zahir Shah' plan to convene a ""loya jirga""(grand assembly) to settle the Afghan problem.

The people complain that Taliban are receiving a lot of revenue from the southern provinces but are not spending anything for the development of these areas.