World ( The cow news digital ) The Peshawar High Court has annulled a decision by the Federal Land Commission that allowed the allotment of hundreds of acres of provincial government land to private individuals in Charsadda’s Tangi area, declaring the order illegal and beyond jurisdiction.
Justice Syed Arshad Ali issued the verdict on a petition filed by the provincial government challenging the land allotment. The court accepted the petition and set aside the commission’s order, observing that the allocation of land valued in millions of rupees was unlawful and violated established legal findings.
In its ruling, the court expressed strong disapproval over what it described as an “abuse of authority” by a member of the Federal Land Commission. It further directed the Ministry of Law to initiate the process of de-notifying the Federal Land Commission and submit a compliance report to the court’s registrar.
The judgment stated that the commission had unlawfully allotted land belonging to the provincial Livestock Department to private individuals, despite previous judicial determinations confirming the land as provincial property. The court noted that both the High Court and the Supreme Court had already ruled in favor of the provincial government’s ownership rights over the disputed land.
According to Additional Advocate General Teimour Khan, the disputed property in Tangi Harichand comprises approximately 500 acres of government land, which had been under provincial control since 1959 under martial law regulations. He added that despite final judgments by higher courts, certain individuals approached the Federal Land Commission seeking re-allotment of the land.
The provincial legal team argued that the commission reopened a long-settled dispute and issued an order contrary to binding judicial decisions. The court agreed with this position, terming the commission’s action unlawful and without legal justification.
Legal experts say the ruling reinforces the authority of higher judiciary decisions and limits administrative bodies from revisiting settled property disputes. The decision is expected to have broader implications for land administration and regulatory oversight in similar cases.
Further proceedings are expected after the Ministry of Law submits its compliance report regarding the de-notification order.
