KP govt takes over Kumar, Kapoor houses possession

PESHAWAR: Peshawar Deputy Commissioner has announced the award for the acquisition of ancestral houses of Indian film legend stars Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, after which the ownership of both the houses have been transferred to the Director Archeology and Museum Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Department of Archeology and Museums has taken possession of both houses late Monday night. The provincial government had decided in 2020 to convert both houses into museums.

According to two award letters issued from the office of Deputy Commissioner Peshawar, the archeology department had decided to buy both houses to convert them into museums. The local administration has completed the legal proceedings by enacting sections 4-6 and 17 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894. Final notices were also issued to the owners for submission of written objections. However, owners of ancestral houses had refused to sell their houses, submitting written objections to deputy commissioner.

Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Khalid Mehmood has announced the award and set the price of Dilip Kumar’s house at Rs8.56 million. Dilip Kumar’s house consists of four marlas, which is located in Mohalla Khudadad behind Qissa Khawani.

Similarly, Raj Kapoor’s house price has been fixed at Rs15 million, which consists of six marlas and is located in Dhaki Dalgaran. Owners of both houses would be able to approach the court in case of any objection.

Director of Archeology and Museums KP Abdul Samad told this scribe that the department has got possession of both houses and the government had fulfilled its promise. He said that in the past only announcements were made but no practical steps were taken but the current government took possession of the houses after completing all the legal procedures. The next step is to restore the two houses to their original condition and then convert them into museums for which funds are available.

It is pertinent that Barkat Ali, the owner of Raj Kapoor Haveli, submitted written objections saying that the property was purchased by Haji Khushal Rasul (late) during the open auction in 1968. Later on, Haji Khushal Rasul had sold the mentioned property to the applicant and the petitioners are not ready to sell out the property to anybody else. He further mentioned that the house is situated in a thickly populated area and is not fit for the establishment of a museum and the said property is more than one billion rupees and payment of the huge amount to the applicant will be burdened on the government.

Similarly, the owners of Dilip Kumar house — Gul Rahman Mohmand, Kashif Naseem and Abdul Jalil Faqir — had submitted written replies to the DC Peshawar saying that the house is not an antique as it has lost its value and it is in too much deplorable condition and no one can even enter into the same, therefore the purpose for its preservation cannot be ensured.

They further said that if the government stressed upon purchasing the house in question then the applicant request compensation of Rs7 crores per marla, total of 35 crores with 15% as compulsory acquisition charges and profit as per prevailing market rate.