'Volume I. MEMORANDA REGARDING PERSIA AND NORTH-WEST TRANS-FRONTIER. 1905.' [‎118r] (240/310)

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wag about to inform him that orders had
been received for the construction of a line
from Peshawar towards the Kabul River in
the vicinity of Smatzai, and that work on
it would be commenced during the ensuing:
autumn when His Highness’s letter of the
12th July (see Journal for July) about Smatzai
was received. With regard to the claim put
forward in that letter that Smatzai is in Afghan
territory, His Highness has been reminded that
m 1903 he agreed to punish the Morcha Khels
of Dhakka for committing deeds of aggression
on the place; that it is, and always has been a
Shilman village; that both His Highness
and his father, the late Amir, have admitted
that Shilman is within the British border; and
that Smatzai has been occupied by British
khassadars since the attack on it by Afghan
subjects in 1903, and will continue to be so
occupied. It was added that this recent attack
on a village occupied by British khassadars is
an additional proof of the necessity for a
settlement of the boundary in that part of the
country.
Sanction has been accorded to an increase
of one British officer, 354 infantry, and 80
sowars to the Khyber Rifles for the * protection
of working parties during the construction
of the Kabul River Railway, and for the safe
guarding of the line, within Khyber limits,
when constructed. The question of raising a
levy corps of Mohmands to guard the line
beyond Khyber limits has been postponed for
the present, pending the settlement of the
alignment beyond Warsak.
Mulla Saiyid Akbar, Aka Khel, has been
trying to induce the Afridis to enter into an
arrangement under which they will not in
future migrate with their Kaddas to the
Peshawar villages for the winter months. He
has given out that he will shortly make a
representation to Government, on behalf of
the Afridis, to the effect that the authorities
were acting contrary to established custom in
making roads in the Khyber without first
obtaining the consent of the Afridis.
Kurram .—A further report on the
capture of Militiamen by Afghans on the
border (see last Journal) shows that the
Havildar Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard. deliberately took the party across the
border with the intention apparently of paying
a friendly visit to the nearest Afghan post,
with the men of which he was on friendly
terms: the Afghan troops which surrounded
the picket were strangers who were out block
ing the passes against Jahandad Khan (see
under Afghanistan). The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. has
written a friendly letter to the Hakim of
Aryob, expressing regret that the men crossed
the frontier, and asking for their release. This
letter has been acknowledged, but up to date
no replv has been sent, and the men are still