Peshawar: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the local government secretary and Peshawar’s commissioner to submit an updated report on the prolonged delay in handing over plots to allottees in Regi Model Town (RMT). The court has set a two-week deadline for the report’s submission.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad, issued the directives while hearing a petition filed by several allottees, including Sirajul Haq, president of the RMT Affectees Association. The petitioners claimed that the denial of plot possession in Zones I, II, and V of RMT was illegal and motivated by ulterior motives.
The petitioners, representing approximately 17,000 affected families, including those of martyrs and retired government employees, argued that despite the allocation of plots in 1993 and full payment by allottees, possession had not been granted. They attributed the delay to a longstanding dispute over land ownership between the government and the Kukikhel tribe.
Advocate Mohammad Ayaz Khan, representing the petitioners, stated that while plots in Zones III and IV of RMT have been developed and occupied, those in Zones I, II, and V remain inaccessible due to the unresolved dispute. He further noted that various court orders directing the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) to resolve the issue had been ignored.
Barrister Waqar Ali Khan, representing the PDA, informed the court that a committee led by Peshawar’s commissioner had been formed to address the matter. The committee’s mandate includes verifying compensation claims for disputed land and resolving legitimate grievances.
Additional Advocate General Rehmat Ali Khan, representing the provincial government, acknowledged the issue and pledged cooperation in addressing the allottees’ concerns.
The court emphasized the need for immediate resolution, instructing the relevant authorities to prioritize the settlement of the Kukikhel land dispute and ensure rightful possession of plots to the affected allottees.
The delay has caused significant distress among the affected families, many of whom have waited nearly three decades for resolution.
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