Resolve Property Disputes

 Written by: Naqeeb Ahmad Azizi

Afghanistan is one of the countries where the majority of the population are living in rural areas and their livelihood mostly depend on land products. Sometimes land and other properties cause serious conflicts and violence in society. AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about this issue.

Abdul Wasi says, “Once a conflict occurred among us and my cousins. We have a grapes garden and the way to our garden is crossing their land but they did not let us cross their land. Then one of our relatives allowed us to cross his land to reach our garden but in the time of the harvest, he also closed the way, and we were not able to get our harvest. A conflict occurred between us and now we do not talk to each other.”

Rashid Zakhel, a resident of Kabul province says, “One of my friends wanted to build a home on the land inherited from his grandfather but a conflict occurred among them and their cousins and they killed each other.”

What do some people think about the causes of such disputes?

Shamsullah Ahadi, a resident of Moqur district, Ghazni province says, “Not having respect to each other; lack of tolerance; illiteracy and also some juveniles are not aware of the dividing of properties of their ancestors and conflicts occur among them.”

Abdul Wasi says, “Our ancestors did not divide their properties among their heirs and the youngsters do not know about their properties and sometimes lack of legal documents of the properties causes conflicts.”

How do people solve these issues peacefully?

Humayun Hiwad, a resident of Muhammad Agha district, Logar province says, “These kinds of conflicts occur more in our area. We have a village council and the residents share their problems with the council. The council collects documents from both sides of the claim and they find a solution to such cases. The residents have decided to solve such claims in the village council and have not faced any conflict yet.”  

Abdul Wasi says, “We presented a petition to the local government office and we presented the documents of our garden and the government solved our issue.”