PHC restrains govt from notifying land settlement in Chitral

PESHAWAR: A division bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has restrained the provincial government from notifying the land settlement process in Upper and Lower Chitral districts.

A bench consisting of Justice Attique Shah and Justice Wiqar Ahmad heard the case.

When the petition of the people of Chitral was taken up for hearing, Additional Advocate General Muhammad Naveed submitted that since the case concerned the legality of the land settlement of two districts the advocate general would himself argue the case and sought an adjournment of the case as the advocate general was appearing in the Supreme Court in another case.

Barrister Asad-ul-Mulk, Dr Adnan Khan and Muhibullah appeared on behalf of the petitioners.

It was submitted by Barrister Asad-ul-Mulk that the government had been seeking an adjournment in the case since 2019 on one pretext or the other, and in view of the governments delaying tactics written arguments should be called for so that if the government continued to use such tactics then the case may be decided on available record and in light of the written arguments.

The court adjourned the case till 9 September, 2024 but acceding to the request made on behalf of the petitioners in its written order directed that “Learned counsel for the parties are directed to file their respective comprehensive and detailed written arguments covering all aspects of the case since 1975 when the impugned regulation was issued along with all judgments of this and the august apex court which have decided the controversies arising out of the impugned regulation from time to time. In the meantime, the interim relief already granted shall remain intact”.

The high court extended the interim relief already granted, preventing the government from notifying land settlement records according to which the government proposed to declare itself the owner of 97 percent of the total area in Upper and Lower Chitral districts.