PHC asks KP govt to explain land allotment to Mardan Women University

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday put on notice the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, directing it to explain the allotment of the Bacha Khan Medical College’s land to the Women University Mardan.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan issued the notice to the provincial government through chief secretary, secretary health, Higher Education Department and Board of Governors of the Bacha Khan Medical College. The notice was issued in a writ petition filed by Mardan District Mazim Himayatullah Mayar.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Khalid Mehmood submitted before the bench that the previous provincial government had allotted 991 kanals and six marlas land for expansion of Bacha Khan Medical College in Mardan.

He submitted that the government had allotted the land for establishment of Burn Care Centre, Nuclear Medicines Department, Neuro Surgery Department, Nurses College, Paramedics Centre and other facilities for further expansion of the Bacha Medical College.

Khalid Mehmood informed the bench that the land was allotted and PC-1 was being prepared for the establishment of the medical institutions and NES-PAK had already started work on the project.

However, he submitted that without prior approval and notice to the BoGs of the college and against the law, the provincial government on August 2016 announced allotment of 300 kanals of the land of the Bacha Khan Medical College for the establishing the Women University Mardan.

The lawyer argued that allotment of the land for Women University from Bacha Khan Medical College’s allotted land would stop establishment of the medical institutions, which is against the law and a grave injustice to the medical college.

He submitted that the government could allocate land for the Women University in other places of the district, but to allocate the land from the medical college land was nothing but to stop establishment of the medical institutions related to the college.

The lawyer prayed the court to declare the allotment of the land of medical college to the university as void and illegal. The court after a preliminary hearing put on notice the chief secretary, secretary Health, secretary Higher Education Department, secretary Communication and Works and Board of Governors of the college.

They were directed to explain as under what law and grounds the already allotted land was re-allotted to a university by the provincial government. The court fixed September 22 for next hearing of the case.  The same bench also summoned Khyber Agency Political Agent for non-compliance with the court order on appointment of the petitioner as junior clerk in the agency despite repeated directions.

The court also issued contempt of court notice to secretary Safron as to why the court orders were not implemented by the political agent. The contempt of court petition had been filed by Abid Shah through his lawyer Aminur Rehman Yousafzai.