VZCZCXRO7662
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1573/01 0990838
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090838Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9482
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//JF/UNMA//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J3//
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2410
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2606
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5810
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1251

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001573 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
RELEASABLE TO NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO, SA/A, S/CRS, SA/PAB, S/CT, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KJUS EAID AF
SUBJECT: PRT/SHARANA - PAKTIKA: THE POLITICS OF LAND 
DISPUTES 
 
KABUL 00001573  001.4 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.   (SBU) Summary:  Development has expanded 
rapidly in the last year in Paktika, and so have 
land disputes. As the pace of development increases, 
the number of land disputes also increases as 
parcels of land are identified for schools, roads, 
and government centers across the province. 
Paktika's former Governor Mangal had figured 
prominently in these land disputes because he 
strongly backed the government's claim to the land 
while steadily pushing the pace of development in 
Paktika.  Parcels of land that had been occupied by 
individuals or tribes are undergoing the Afghan 
equivalent of eminent domain, and this caused many 
of these affected individuals or tribes to become 
unhappy with Governor Mangal. It is yet to be seen 
if this unhappiness will be transferred to the new 
Governor. 
 
Multiple Land Claims Threaten Development 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.   (SBU) On 5 March, then-Governor Mangal met with 
a contentious group of concerned landowners, and 
people claiming to be landowners, in Sharana to 
discuss the master plan for the city.  Much of the 
controversy that recently surfaced in Kabul over 
Governor Mangal's performance, including allegations 
of a supposed deterioration in the security 
situation in Paktika, was likely related to the 
implementation of the Sharana and Orgun-e master 
plans.  Sharana is the capital of Paktika province 
and Orgun-e is the largest town; the development and 
implementation of government master plans in these 
two cities has angered some of the people claiming 
to own the land there.  Much of the disputed land is 
likely originally belonged to the government but was 
acquired or simply occupied by tribes or individuals 
over the last 26 years of instability.  Often two or 
three individuals will claim to have legal title to 
what the government of Paktika contends is and has 
always been government land. 
 
Weak Judiciary Puts Governor in Tight Spot 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The lack of a functioning judicial system 
also contributes to this problem.  Disputes which 
could be settled quickly in a normal civil court in 
America are often extremely complicated in 
Afghanistan.  Judges are notorious for taking bribes 
to decide cases and often delay the outcome in order 
to try to get more money from the claimants.  The 
judicial system in Paktika is so badly staffed, 
equipped, and trained that it is basically a non- 
player in the province. The lack of a functioning 
judiciary also places the governor in a position of 
either stalling development while land disputes work 
their way through a judicial system that may never 
come to a decision on these cases, or pushing ahead 
with development on land to which he believes the 
government has a clear title regardless of other 
claims. 
 
Comment 
--------- 
 
 
KABUL 00001573  002.4 OF 002 
 
 
¶4.   (SBU) In cases where the governor has moved 
ahead and allowed development on government land, 
some jilted claimants have taken their claims and 
very likely their money to Kabul, where they have 
complained about the governor to ministry officials 
or even directly to ministers.  Thus, development 
progress in the province and good governance by the 
governor may very well have resulted in Kabul's 
recent inflated security concerns about Paktika as 
well as the allegations that the former governor was 
corrupt and unpopular.  Regardless of where these 
concerns and allegations originated, observations on 
the ground in Paktika indicate that they do not 
appear to have any basis in fact. It is yet to be 
seen how the land disputes will be worked out under 
the leadership of Paktika's new governor Mohammad 
Akram Khpulwak, but if the past is any judge he will 
have his hands full balancing much-needed 
development with aggressive tribal and individual 
land claims. 
 
NORLAND