Peshawar     -    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan governments jointly convened a grand Jirga of elders and Ulema of Kohistan (KP) and Diamer (GB) to resolve the longstanding boundary issue between the two federating entities.

Deputy Commissioner of Upper Kohistan Mohammad Asif told media persons, “We (district administrations) have demarcated disputed land of Thor (Diamer) and Harban (Upper Kohistan) in accordance with the decree issued by the grand Jirga and settled this dispute between tribes of both sides once and for all.”

The Karakoram Highway was blocked earlier this week by those affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in the Harban region of Upper Kohistan, forcing the grand Jirga to carry out the ruling it had made in December last year.

The delineation process was carried out by the Revenue Department   in front of the 24-member Jirga, which included 12 elders and clerics from each side.

Asif stated that the procedure for acquiring land for the Diamer-Bhasha dam may now be started within a day or two after the resolution of land issues between tribesmen of the Diamer and Kohistan districts.

“A lawsuit involving the ownership of the disputed territory is still ongoing before the Supreme Court, and even if the ruling of the high court conflicts with the ruling of the Jirga, the ownership of the tribes would still be upheld,” Asif added.

In an altercation between the GB and KP tribes over the boundary issue in 2016, four Harban tribesmen had been killed and 10 others injured.