Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is trying to forcibly grab lands belonging to the people of the Leeri village in Ferozkhel area of Orakzai district.

He locals complained that they were being deprived of their lands. At the same time, they also complained of being harassed for no reason.

They said that government employees trespass on their lands on the pretext of survey, while women are working along with males on their crops.

“This is blatant violation of local culture and tradition,” a local said.

However, sources said that police department was trying to grab the lands for setting up a police station in the area. They said that district administration was also backing up the police in this.

The sources said that there was land available in other nearby areas; however, appeared to be hell bent on depriving them of their meager holdings.

The locals said that most of the villagers were poor subsistence farmers. In addition to this, they have also given up large tracts of lands to government earlier in 2013; however, again grabbing their land will leave them without bread.

A source said that some days back, authorities have arrested some villagers to force them giving up on their lands.

The locals have demanded protection from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Chief Justice Peshawar High Court and Provincial Police Officer. They said that their meager land holdings should not be taken away forcibly.