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2013 CLC 893

SAJJADULHAQ vs DIRECTORGENERAL, PESHAWAR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Citation2013 CLC 893
CourtPeshawar High Court
Judge(s)Rooh-ul-Amin Khan, Irshad Qaiser
ResultPetition dismissed

' ROOH-UL-AMIN KHAN, J.--- Through this writ petition the petitioner seeks indulgence of this Court with the following prayers:--- "It is, therefore, respectfully prayed that on acceptance of this writ petition this Honorable Court may very graciously be pleased to set aside/cancel the allotment of plot being without lawful authority, illegal and of no legal of effect".

2. Brief, but relevant facts as enumerated in the writ petition are that the petitioner hails from Hayatabad Township Peshawar. The said Township was planned and developed for good environment and atmosphere having civic utilities and demarcated marked lands for the residential houses, parks, areas and commercial areas etc. In the said Township the inhabitants have either purchased the property from individuals or have been allotted plots or have purchased the property through open auction in lawful manner. It had very limited recreation places and parks for the locals. Out of the very few recreation areas, specially meant for recreation purpose is Bagh-e-Naran Phase-II being one of the left places. That the said Township has only one Sports Complex, which too has become congested and original sketch of the same has time and again been encroached upon by changing the basic design of the same by providing place for a Restaurant, a Nazim Office; which too was meant for indoor games activities for the inhabitants of Hayatabad Township Scheme, but the same was converted into an Office, which is clear violation of the original plan and purpose. That in between Bagh-e-Naran and Sports Complex Gandow Khawar runs, which has been squeezed and has been made narrow by the embankment, which will endanger the life and properties of the local inhabitants of Hayatabad Township. That in the Masterplan of the Township the Administration has allocated plots for Offices, Schools and Hospitals in all the seven Sectors and any allotment contrary to the Masterplan would create great inconvenience for the inhabitants. The petitioner mainly aggrieved by allotment of 20 Kanals of land situated between Sports Complex and Bagh-e-Naran Phase-II near Gandow Khawar to respondent No,7.

3. We have heard the learned counsel for the parties and considered their points in the light of their submissions.

4. Due to insignificant increase in Urban properties, and shifting of inhabitants from surrounding Districts to Peshawar for Business, Education and other civic available facilities in Peshawar, the City had become congested, thus in 1970 the Provincial Government launched a Mega Residential Project equipped with all modern facilities. For this modern Suburb huge chunk of land was acquired on the Western side of Peshawar city, adjacent to the main Highway, which connects Pakistan with Afghanistan. On Western side of this Project, gigantic Mountains of Khyber Agency are situated. This Township was named as "Hayatabad" giving resemblance with the name of the then Governor of the Province, namely Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao. Initially the Provincial Government devised a comprehensive plan that the Town shall be used for residential purposes, but after some time a complete Sector was allocated for establishment of Industrial Estate.

5. Since the area allocated for Hayatabad Township was lying in the foot of Koh-e-Hindukash (Mountainous Range of Khyber Agency) and rains in the ancient time had paved watercourse in the descending area; one of the same deep and large, but dry, creek existed in the Township. This watercourse was lying dry in between Bagh-e-Naran and Sport Complex, which was far away .

From the Residential Area, therefore, was not developed at initial period and was not included in Masterplan.

6. In the year 2008-2009 the Peshawar Development Authority constructed retaining wall and embanked the creek with dyke. The watercourse was bedded with fragment of broken rocks to eliminate and vanish any danger of flood etc. By constructing the retaining walls, and embankment, the Peshawar Development Authority brought into return a suitable land measuring

25. Kanals, situated between Bagh-e-Naran and Sports Complex.

7'. Primarily the respondent No,7 i,e, "Iqra University" had been established in a rental Bungalow in thickly-populated area of University Town: This Court while deciding the Writ Petition No, 1102 of 2009 titled Asia Management Institute of Iqra University v. Administration and others, declared the running of University in Residential Area as contrary to law. Consequently respondent No,7 submitted application to the respondents for allotment of amenity land/plot for construction and establishment of the University. The application was processed in accordance with the prevailing Rules and Law. A proper summary was prepared and placed before she Competent Authority i,e, Chief Minister of the Province for approval. The Chief Minister accorded proper sanction and approved the allotment of 20 Kanals out of 25 kanals reclaimed land to respondent No,7 for construction of "Iqra University", on the terms and conditions embodied in the allotment letter dated 11-2-2009. After allotment the respondent No,7 deposited the sale consideration and thereafter, constructed a huge building, and have started imparting Education in different subjects.

The plot allotted to the University, on approval of the Chief Minister could not be nullified on the ground that the same has been allotted without any auction. We have gone through the' record and allotment regulations of Hayatabad, which do not provide that the amenity plot for' School be allotted on auction basis. We have also observed that the amenity plots for School, Hospital etc. Have never been allotted through auction.

8. Allotment of plot in favour of respondent No,7 has become a past and closed transaction, as he had made payment and had become D lawful owner thereof, thus no action could be taken against the allottee at such a belated stage. It is also evident from record that at present about 1300 students have been admitted in, the University and different Departments have started imparting Education in its respective subjects. Moreso, the, plot was allotted to respondent No,7 in the month of February, 2009, while the instant writ petition was filed on 10th August, 2010.

9. Despite the fact that petitioner was well-conversant with the allotment and then huge construction on the plot, but has filed this writ petition with an unexplained long delay of about one year and eight months., thus under the principle of ladies alone, this petition merits dismissal.

10. The argument of the learned counsel for the petitioner that the plot alloted to the "Iqra University" was not the part of Masterplan is self-contradictory, flimsy and unconvincing. The Masterplan of Hayatabad Township has been designed by the Provincial Government in the year 1970, while the subject plot was reclaimed in the year 2009, thus the question of including the reclaimed area in Masterplan does not arise.

11. Another arguments of the learned counsel for the petitioner that the 20 Kanals area has been transferred to the University against a very meagre amount are also unpersuasive. Certain allotment orders available on record divulges that a plot of Land measuring 15.85 Kanals situated in Sector P-2 was allotted for University Public School against a sale consideration of Rs,1,10,000/- per Kanal, vide letter dated 28-10-1989. Another plot measuring 8.68 Kanals was allotted to Principal Shah Public School at the sale price of Rs,1,10,000/-. On the same price plot of 8 kanals area was alloted to Forward High School, CECOS Data Institute, Mrs. Rukhsana Iqbal for Education Institution and Mr. T. Mehboob. In the year 2009 land measuring 35 kanals was allotted for construction of Neuro Sciences Institute Neuro Rehabilitation Center and Liver Institute in Office Enclave Phase-V Hayatabad Township Peshawar against sale price of Rs,80,0000/- per kanal.

12. We could not find from the record, and even the petitioner also failed to bring on record a single instance, where the PDA has allotted any amenity plot on a higher rate than the respondent No,7, from which it could be inferred that he has been given undue benefits.

' In wake of the above discussion, we found no merit in the instant writ petition, which is hereby dismissed with no order as to costs.

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