The century-old agreement between the British government and the landowners of the Batkhela Canal, signed in 1907, expired in 2007. However, since then, the Pakistani government has made no progress toward renewing this agreement.
Under the original terms, the British government committed to paying the landowners an annual lease of between 30 and 60 rupees, which was considered fair at that time. However, in today's context, this amount has become a mere token, according to the landowners.
After the expiration of the agreement, the Batkhela Canal landowners demanded that a new contract be drafted, but the Irrigation Department has been unwilling to engage in discussions on the matter. In response, the landowners decided to take their case to court. However, the case remains unresolved, with court hearings being repeatedly delayed.
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To address this issue, the Batkhela Canal landowners formed a committee. Zafar Ibrahim Khalil, a spokesperson for the committee, told Tribal News Network (TNN) that when the British first proposed digging the canal, the ancestors initially deemed it impossible and insisted that the British would refill their lands if the project failed. The British agreed, and the canal was eventually completed successfully.
Khalil further explained that the lease for the rain-fed lands was set at 30 rupees, while lands with adequate irrigation systems were leased at 60 rupees.
When asked about their protests, the committee’s spokesperson said, "We have protested many times, but to no avail. If the government rejects our demand and the court rules against us, we will stage a massive protest, and the entire area will support us."
On the other hand, Asif Khan, an Executive Engineer (XEN) of the Irrigation Department in Malakand, stated that he had been instructed not to discuss the matter with the media.
When asked who had issued this directive, he replied that a notification from higher authorities had prohibited any department member from speaking to the media. "Each department has a focal person for media statements," he added. When asked who the focal person was, he responded, "Currently, there isn't one. All I can say is that we will accept the court's decision, and so will the canal landowners."
Another Irrigation Department employee, speaking anonymously, said, "It was a hundred-year agreement, and it's over; that's the end of it. There are canals like this all over Pakistan, and no one else receives even a rupee. At least these people are getting 30 to 60 rupees."
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